AFP, October 17, 2012  – The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, issued a statement accusing the Syrian regime of using cluster bombs in the ongoing conflict, today.

“Over the last few months… the [Syrian] regime has reached a new milestone in resorting to violence –MiG [aircraft] then the release of barrels of TNT and more recently and more terrible still to cluster munitions,” said Fabius, according to AFP.

The declaration comes as international group Human Rights Watch accuses the regime of using the weapons this week, which detonate and disperse smaller explosives.

Towns targeted included Maarat, Tamanea, Taftanaz and al-Tah. Cluster bombs were also used in other areas in Homs, Aleppo and Lattakia provinces as well as near Damascus, the rights group said.

“Syria’s disregard for its civilian population is all too evident in its air campaign, which now apparently includes dropping these deadly cluster bombs into populated areas,” said Steve Goose, arms director at HRW.

Initial information about the use of the explosives came from videos posted online by opposition activists although HRW investigators said it had confirmed the incidents in interviews with resident in two towns.

It had no information on casualties. The cluster bombs were Russian-made but it was not known how or when Syria acquired them.

Syria denied the HRW report on Monday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The Syrian army said it doesn’t have any cluster bombs in its arsenal, SANA said, citing a statement issued by the army.

As the conflict in Syria to topple autocratic leader President Bashar al-Assad enters its 20th month, it has claimed some 33,000 lives.