Syrian Rebels Accused Of ‘Massacre’ In Eastern Village
Syrian rebels have been accused by a human rights watch group of killing dozens of people Tuesday in village in eastern Syria.
Watch group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has stated that at least 60 people from the Deir al-Zour, most of them villagers, were killed Tuesday.
Thousands of rebels descended on the area, with reports that militants targeted civilians and fighters without discrimination. This included elderly people and children, according to an anonymous Syrian government official.
The Syrian Observatory stated that at least 10 rebel fighters died in the assault.
Sources say that rebel forces have claimed that President Assad’s “agents” had been operating in the Iraq-bordering Deir al-Zour province, attempting to stir up support for the president and recruit loyalist fighters.
Tuesday’s Syrian rebel-led massacre highlights the highly sectarian nature of the Syrian conflict, as the villagers were believed to be mostly Shiites.
The Shiite, Sunni divide has frequently been the fault lines dividing rebel and loyalist forces in Syria and driving sectarian violence.
The attack also reveals the increasing pressure Syrian rebels are feeling in the wake of a series of profound defeats over the last two weeks.
The most significant of these was Assad’s successful retaking of Qusayr, a strategically important town that had been held by rebel forces. A three week siege on Qusayr by loyalist forces, however, combined with Hezbollah reinforcements, allowed for a final successful push that drove out the rebels.
Rebel forces have also been forced to retreat from their position at the Syrian Golan Heights crossing, bordering Israel, last week. Frustrated and under pressure, Syrian rebel groups have declared that they will be taking a more heavy handed approach with Assad supporters.
The first of such attacks came within Lebanese borders recently, as rebels assaulted a Hezbollah stronghold. It is likely such a renewed drive for aggressive tactics also prompted Syrian rebel forces to assault the Deir al-Zour province in an attack that left at least 70 dead Tuesday.
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