AKIPRESS.COM - United Nations human rights investigators have added to their list of suspected war criminals from both sides in the Syrian civil war after a new round of atrocities in recent weeks, The Star reported citing UN representative on Tuesday.

The UN inquiry has identified military units and security agencies as well as insurgent groups suspected of committing abuses.

Four confidential lists of suspects on both sides have been drawn up to date. They contain names of persons criminally responsible for hostage-taking, torture and executions.

It also contains names of the heads of intelligence branches and detention facilities where detainees are tortured, names of military commanders who target civilians, airports from which barrel bomb attacks are planned and executed, and armed groups involved in attacking and displacing civilians.

In its update report, the UN commission of inquiry on Syria said the period of January 20 to March 10 was marked by escalating hostilities between insurgent groups throughout northern and northeastern provinces as Islamist rebel strongholds came under attack.