Small quantities of high explosive bombs were mixed in with the incendiary load to blow in windows and roofs, and to deter the civil defenders. To discourage them further, explosives were fitted to a number of the incendiaries (around 10 per cent of the load) with fuses timed at different intervals. In 1942 small anti-personnel bombs were added to the aircraft bomb loads. The intention was to kill or maim any civil defenders unfortunate enough to be near them.

This is not about Syria or Ukraine today, but about the British bombing campaign of WW II. Chilling.