Syrian Government Demolishes Thousands of Homes: Report

Syrian government forces using bulldozers and explosives razed thousands of homes in rebel areas of the country -- an area equivalent to about 200 soccer fields, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

Many of the demolished buildings were apartment blocks several stories high, some with as many as eight levels, covering a total area of at least 145 hectares (358 acres), the New York-based organization said in a report today titled “Razed to the Ground: Syria’s Unlawful Neighborhood Demolitions.” Satellite photos released by the organization showed inhabited areas in Damascus and Hama reduced to rubble, some in the space of a month.