'More than 400 barrel bombs' dropped on Syria in February alone

Bashar al-Assad's forces dropped at least 407 deadly barrel bombs on Syrian civilians in February alone, according to a new report on the conflict published by the Britain-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Sunday.

The highly dangerous bombs - often containing gasoline, nails and chunks of steel - are known to have killed at least 28 civilians, including ten children and four women, during that month alone, the report states.

The report said it had taken the UN Security Council a whole year and a half to issue resolution 2139, on 22 February 2014, condemning the use of barrel bombs.

The reporters subsequently pointed out that Syrian regime has used a staggering 23,810 barrel bombs since Russia intervened in the conflict in support of brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad.

The report also pointed out that Eastern Ghouta has been a main target of recent barrel bomb attacks, with nearly 300 of the incendiary bombs dropped on the region since the regime escalated its offensive against rebels controlling the area on February 19.

Opposition-held Idlib has also been relentlessly attacked by barrel bombs, including two such barrels allegedly containing toxic gas, dropped by a helicopter on the town of Saraqeb on February 4, injuring 11 people.

Seven years of conflict in Syria have left more than half a million people dead, according to an updated overall death toll released Monday by SOHR.

Agencies contributed to this report.