UNITED Nations investigators accused the Islamic State (Isis) group of committing crimes against humanity today by attacking civilians in two Syrian provinces.

Their findings were the result of six months of interviews and evidence collected between January and July this year as part of an inquiry into human rights violations inside Syria.

The investigators’ report detailed “mass atrocities,” including recruitment of child soldiers by Isis and added that public executions are a “common spectacle” in areas run by the group.

They said that Isis is waging a campaign of fear in northern Syria, including amputations, public executions and whippings.

“Bodies of those killed are placed on display for several days, terrorising the local population. Women have been lashed for not abiding by the Isis dress code. In Raqqa, children as young as 10 are being recruited and trained at IS camps.”

Isis supporters tweeted images yesterday of the cold-blooded murder of Syrian pro-government forces following the capture of the Tabqa airbase near Raqqa in eastern Syria.

The report said that it was likely that the army of President Bashar al-Assad had deployed chlorine gas on eight occasions in April and May to attack civilians in Idlib and Hama provinces.

It also pointed the finger at the use of barrel bombs dropped from Syrian Air Force planes on civilian areas.

Investigative panel chairman Paulo Pinheiro said that the international community had failed “in its most elemental duties to protect civilians, halt and prevent atrocities and create a path toward accountability.”

The opposition-linked Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported yesterday that an array of rebel forces, including from the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra and the Western-backed Free Syrian Army had taken a border crossing into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Free Syrian Army southern front spokesman General Ibrahim Jbawi denied that there had been any collusion with Israel.

However, he insisted that this development posed no threat to Israel, saying: “Our aim isn’t Israel right now and we in the FSA haven’t targeted Israeli lands.

“The matter of Israel, it’s not for now and it’s more political.”

An Israeli soldier on the occupied Golan was lightly wounded by an errant round from Syria today.