Geneva - Advocacy group Human Rights Watch called on Russia and Georgia, who both employed cluster bombs in their conflict last summer, to end the use of the controversial weapon, in a new report released in Geneva Tuesday. The report showed that 18 civilian towns were affected by cluster munitions during the conflict last August, in violation of international law.

At least 16 civilians were killed by cluster bombs and dozens more were wounded. Unexploded sub-munitions were said to still be affecting farmers in several regions, with de-miners not expected to finish work on clearing the potentially lethal devices until late next year.

The use of the munitions in civilian-populated areas was a violation of the laws of war, said Bonnie Docherty who authored the report, entitled A Dying Practice.

Last year, 96 states signed a treaty banning cluster bombs. The largest military powers and weapons producers, like the United States, Russia, China and Israel, did not sign the treaty.

"Cluster munitions are too dangerous to be used," Docherty said, adding that they "should be banned."

Russia denies that it used clusters, in spite of hard evidence to the contrary, while Georgia says it was investigating incidents where its use of the weapon apparently violated international law.

The HRW report was released as negotiations, being pushed ahead largely by states which did not sign last year's treaty, were underway at the United Nations in Geneva on a protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, which was seen as a compromised version of the total ban.

The convention on cluster munitions completely prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of all such bombs.

By contrast, a draft text of the protocol allowed states to continue to use cluster bombs, drawing harsh criticisms from HRW which called for the new negotiations to be abandoned and countries to instead join the existing treaty.

Cluster munitions have also been used this decade by Israel in Lebanon in 2006 and in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have not found an instance when (cluster bombs) were used in compliance with international humanitarian law or have given the military advantage they are advertised to do," noted Mark Hiznay, a researcher with HRW.

Since 1997, over 100 states have also joined the convention banning landmines and most have begun to take action to clear affected areas. (dpa)