UN says 60,000 killed in Syria in less than 2 years

At least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war, with monthly casualty figures steadily increasing since the conflict began almost two years ago, according to a new analysis released by the UN.

The death toll is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad — the first time the UN’s estimates are higher.

It comes as activists report that a Syrian warplane blasted a petrol station near Damascus yesterday, killing and wounding dozens and igniting a huge fire in one of the bloodiest attacks in weeks during the 22-month conflict.