Syria Opposition Reports Massacre In Damascus Suburb

Syrian opposition activists are reporting a massacre in the Damascus suburb of Jdeidet al-Fadel. The opposition alleges that government troops killed more than 85 people during the storming of the city.

Five days of fighting preceded the reported massacre, which is said to include women and children. The opposition added that the death toll could climb as high as 250.

Jamal al-Golani, a member of the Revolution Leadership Council opposition group, alleged that most of the victims were shot at close range. He added that the presence of Syrian Army patrols made documenting who was dead more difficult.

Golani explained that he counted 98 bodies in the streets. He saw 86 more people “executed” in makeshift clinics. It is impossible to independently verify claims like massacres in Syria, because the government does not allow outside media.

Abu Ahmad al-Rabi, another opposition activist, stated that he documented 85 people who were executed, including 28 who were shot at a makeshift hospital after President Bashar al-Assad’s forces entered the city. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was able to document the names of 80 people killed, including women and children.

Opposition fighters pulled out of the town on Saturday after fighting for five days when they ran out or ammunition. By Sunday morning, government forces completely took over the Damascus suburb.

The reported massacre in the Damascus suburb is not the first time the Syrian government has been accused of mass murder. The Syrian opposition claimed the government performed at least four massacres last year, including one in Houla that killed 108 people. Another later that year claimed at least 80 lives.

The government repeatedly denied the massacres, blaming them instead on foreign troops infiltrating the country and trying to start a war. The Syrian Army has worked since last year to root out rebels east and southwest of Damascus in a strategy to secure the capital. Despite the attempts, Damascus has seen numerous attacks, as well as fighting in the streets.

While there is no way to verify the reported massacre in Syria, Al Jazeera received video images of the bodies.

[Image via anj?i]