The carnage in Syria continues

The bloody conflict in Syria has entered its 6th year. And we were reminded of it on May 23 when 7 explosions ripped through north-eastern Syria in the heartland of government-controlled territory. The body count was more than 148 people and Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility. Bus stations and hospitals were targeted. We fail to comprehend precisely how killing civilians is a military objective for IS, but then neither the IS nor the other players in the jigsaw puzzle that represents the Syrian conflict have ever had any problems targeting civilians. With over 250,000 already dead in the civil war and with every major regional and world powers actively training, arming and financing either the Assad regime or his adversaries, the latest carnage will be a mere statistic when the next round of violence erupts. 

That the global populace is outraged is not news, nor is it news that the leading powers cannot find common ground to forge a ceasefire that could pave the way for peace. How can world leaders justify supporting this faction or that amidst the colossal loss of human life, ignore the suffering of millions of displaced Syrians and the steady destruction of a civilisation? 

Geopolitics aside, the longer the civil war is allowed to continue, the stronger will become the hand and reach of IS which has already struck mainland Europe. We hope that world leaders can set aside their differences and come to the negotiating table while there is still time to contain the scourge of IS.