US Condemns Syrian Armed Groups Using Civilians, Soldiers as Human Shields

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States condemns the practice by armed groups in Syria who reportedly detain soldiers and civilians and use them as human shields to deter attacks, US Department of State spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

"We condemn such practices. We reiterate all parties to the conflict must comply with international law," Trudeau stated.

Over the weekend, Syrian opposition news outlet Shaam News Network posted a video showing a local armed group carrying caged civilians through the streets using them as human shields.

Since 2011 Syria has been mired in a civil war as various opposition factions and militant Islamist groups, such as ISIL and the Nusra Front, have battled the Syrian Army intending to topple the government of President Bashar Assad.

Last week, officials from Russia, China, Iran and the United States, among others, met in Vienna for talks on the Syrian settlement process. Following the meeting, the sides reached a nine-point communique on resolving the crisis, which outlined defeating all groups designated as terrorist by the UN Security Council.