Syrian man arrested in Berlin over Damascus war crime

German police yesterday arrested a Syrian man for war crimes, accusing him of having fired a grenade into a crowd of civilians waiting for food and water from UN relief workers in Damascus in 2014.

At least seven people were killed in the attack allegedly carried out by Mouafak Al D. on March 23, 2014, German prosecutors said in a statement.

"The accused is strongly suspected of having committed war crimes. In connection with this, he is also charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of grievous bodily harm," said prosecutors.

At the time of the assault, the suspect is believed to have been a member of the "Free Palestine Movement" which laid siege to the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Yarmuk on behalf of Bashar al-Assad's regime.