Massacre in Coastal Town Forces Syrian Residents to Flee

A great number of Sunni Muslims and their families have fled their residences in the coastal area of Banias, after Assad’s armed forces massacred dozens of people on Friday night, according to activists.

According to reports, activists claimed that about 77 people were brutally killed in the Ras al-Nabaa district of Banias, only two days after dozens of people were killed in the nearby village of al-Baida by Assad’s forces and militia loyal to the Syrian president.

British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said that hundreds of families were estimated to have fled the town for nearby towns like Jableh and Tartous.

Head of SOHR Rami Abdelrahman said, “The army is turning people back at the checkpoints outside the town, telling them to go back to Banias, that nothing is wrong. There are also announcements going out on mosque loudspeakers telling people to return home.”

There was a footage posted online by the SOHR of a gory scene in Ras al-Nabaa. Mutilated and burnt bodies littered the area. Some were lying in pools of blood, and most of the victims were children.

Another footage showing the bodies of dozens of people killed in Banias on Friday night was posted online by activists. The bodies were those of a family, with women and children included.

The US state department released a statement after it got wind of the incidents that occurred lately.

“We strongly condemn atrocities against the civilian population and reinforce our solidarity with the Syrian people. As the Assad regime’s violence against innocent civilians escalates, we will not lose sight of the men, women and children whose lives are being so brutally cut short.”

“Those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of human rights law must be held accountable.”

Assad’s Forces Raid on Village Leaves Dozens Dead

Syrian opposition reported that Assad’s security forces and loyal militia groups have laid waste to the coastal village of al-Baida on Thursday, leaving about 50 to 100 people dead, including women and child.

While there are conflicting reports about the incident, there were indications that the raid was a response to an attack on a busload of ‘Shabiha’, pro-Assad fighters, by rebels a few hour earlier, which led to the death of at least six people and dozens injured.

According to government-run SANA news agency, Assad’s forces killed “terrorists” (a term his regime used to describe the rebels) and seized arms.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll would likely increase beyond 100, as most of the victims appeared have been “summarily executed” by either shots or stabbings.

Earlier in the day at a news conference, US defence secretary, Chuck Hagel and his British counterpart, Philip Hammond, were responding to reporters’ questions about the possibility of the US government arming the rebels.

Hagel replied in the affirmative, but added that he is in favour of exploring options and seeing what is the best option in coordination with his government’s international partners.

This incident comes at a time when Syrian mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi, has considered resigning from the U.N.-Arab League role over his frustration of being in a situation in which no further progress has been reached to end Syria’s two-year civil war that has caused the deaths of thousands.

According to diplomats speaking on the condition of anonymity, Brahimi felt that the decision to recognize Syria’s opposition by the Arab league is one-sided and can belittle his neutrality.

At the moment, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon and ambassadors from the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France held a meeting on Thursday to deal with the Syrian situation in light of a possible resignation from Brahimi.

85 Killed by Assad’s Forces in Damascus Suburb; Opposition Warns Hezbollah to Keep Off

According to activists on Sunday, Syrian military and militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad murdered 85 people during an assault on a Damascus suburb after days of fighting.

A member of the Revolution Leadership Council opposition group, Jamal al-Golani, stated that the victims included women and children, and documenting the actual number of bodies was difficult due to the military presence in the area. He added that the number of bodies may be higher than 250.

Another activist in Jdeidet Artouz district just adjacent to the area, Abu Ahmad al-Rabi stated that they documented 85 as the number of people executed in makeshift clinics where they were lying wounded, along with 28 others after Assad’s forces entered Jdeidet al-Fadel. He also expressed his fears that the massacre may have left a lot more victims than was accounted for.

The Syrian opposition called on Hezbollah to withdraw its army as activists have claimed Lebanese Shiite militant group have been aiding Assad’s forces in exchanging gunfire with rebels for control of a set of villages near the border between Syria and Lebanon.

In a statement posted on the Syrian National Coalition’s facebook page, they warned Hezbollah that its involvement in the civil war could lead to greater risks in the area, and urged Lebanese government to take measures in stopping them and control the area to prevent further risks to civilians living in the area.

Although, Hezbollah accepted assisting the Popular Committees, it has denied its involvement in the ongoing civil war.

  

While the government has denied it is faced with a widespread uprising, it has equally described the revolt as an act of ‘terrorists, a plot to topple it with a foreign backing.

The US has been very clear about its opinion on Assad to leave power, but have not been involved in backing the rebellion until recently. The Obama administration decided to increase its non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition by $123 million in supplies. This brings the total to $250 million since the fighting began more than 2 years ago.

The 2-year-old conflict has affected neighboring states, with the violence forcing millions of Syrians at home to seek refuge abroad. Most of the affected governments are already cash-strapped and are trying to deal with the large flow of refugees into their countries.