GENEVA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday that despite the fragile ceasefire in northeastern Syria, it is gravely concerned about the increased use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in populated areas.
A statement from OHCHR on Friday said that since the ceasefire agreement of Oct. 22, the office has recorded a rise in the number of attacks with IEDs in populated areas including residential neighborhoods and inside at least 12 busy markets and commercial areas.
Incidents the office has verified indicate there were at least 49 attacks with various types of IEDs between Oct. 22 and Dec. 3. As a result, at least 78 civilian deaths and 307 injuries have been recorded.
According to the statement, in areas within the "de-escalation zone" in Idlib and parts of Aleppo, the office has also seen another upsurge of military operations after a relative lull in hostilities in October.
Despite the ceasefire, the statement said, intermittent fighting continues to be reported in northeast Syria. On Dec. 2 alone, 10 civilians, including eight boys, were killed and 12 civilians, including two women and seven boys, injured.
"All parties to the conflict must immediately cease and refrain from directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects and from any indiscriminate attacks, and investigate all such incidents," the statement urged.
