WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Nobody is safe from Syrian security forces if members of the Red Crescent are exposed to gunfire, Human Rights Watch said.
The rights group said a Sept. 7 attack on an ambulance used by volunteers with the Red Crescent in Homs highlighted the severity of the situation in Syria.
"If Red Crescent volunteers are not safe from harm, who is?" asked Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch said its investigation into the incident determined the ambulance was hit from four sides with a total of 31 bullets. A volunteer from the organization told the rights group that there was no fighting in the area when they came under attack.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, in its incident report last week, said the ambulance set off a large series of sparks when it drove over downed electrical wires in the Warshe neighborhood of Homs.
Syria is facing increased international isolation for its bloody crackdown on opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Despite Russian opposition to a formal resolution at the U.N. Security Council, Western allies are increasing the pressure on Assad's regime.
Members of the European Parliament said, following a four-hour debate, that Assad has lost his legitimacy and must step down immediately.
