What the Russians are writing off as an operation aimed at “cleaning out” the remaining rebels in Idlib and Hama provinces, a mass onslaught that included troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad on the ground and Russian fighter jets in the air flying massive air support, has left some 544 civilians dead and more than 2,000 wounded according to the authoritative Syrian Network for Human Rights. The organization, which is based in the United Kingdom, has monitored the conflict since it began in 2011. At least 130 children are listed among the dead. An estimated 300,000 of Syrians were forced from their homes, but arguably the most horrific part of the slaughter was the use of illegal weapons such as cluster bombs, incendiary explosives and air-dropped munitions that are deadly over a broad area; and the bombing of at least 30 medical facilities.