By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Erika Solomon
AMMAN/BEIRUT, July 13 (Reuters) - More than 200 Syrians, mostly civilians, were massacred in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen who carried out execution-style killings, opposition activists said.Naw
If confirmed, it would be the worst single incident of violence in 16 months of conflict in which rebels are fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad and diplomacy to halt the bloodshed has been stymied by jostling between world powers.
Activists said it took place on Thursday, while the U.N. Security Council negotiated a new resolution on Syria. Washington and its allies said it showed the need for tough action, but Russia ruled out accepting their latest draft.
The Revolution Leadership Council of Hama told Reuters the Sunni Muslim village of Tremseh was subjected on Thursday to a barrage of heavy weapons fire before pro-government Alawite militiamen swept in and killed victims one by one. Some civilians were killed while trying to flee.
Opposition reports suggested that rebels from the Free Syrian Army, fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, were stationed in the village.
"More than 220 people fell today in Tremseh. They died from bombardment by tanks and helicopters, artillery shelling and summary executions," the regional opposition group said in a statement on Thursday evening.
Syrian state television said three security personnel had been killed in fighting in Tremseh and accused "armed terrorist groups" of committing a massacre there.
Fadi Sameh, an opposition activist from Tremseh, said he had left the town before the reported killing spree but was in touch with residents. "It appears that Alawite militiamen from surrounding villages descended on Tremseh after its rebel defenders pulled out, and started killing the people. Whole houses have been destroyed and burned from the shelling.
"Every family in the town seems to have members killed. We have names of men, women and children from countless families," he said, adding many of the bodies were taken to a local mosque.
Ahmed, another local activist, told Reuters: "So far, we have 20 victims recorded with names and 60 bodies at a mosque. There are more bodies in the fields, bodies in the rivers and in houses ... People were trying to flee from the time the shelling started and whole families were killed trying to escape."
"BLOCKADED FROM EVERY SIDE
Footage of the aftermath of the reported massacre had yet to appear on activists' websites and the reports could not be independently confirmed. Syrian authorities severely limit access for independent journalists.
A detailed account by activists before news of the massacre emerged said at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday (0300GMT), a convoy of 25 vehicles carrying army and security forces, 3 armoured vehicles and five trucks mounted with artillery passed West through the town of Muharda and headed toward the village of Tremseh.
"They blockaded the village from all four sides and began violently and randomly firing on houses as a helicopter flew overhead. As the attack happened the electricity and telephone lines were cut. Residents gathered in the streets in a state of fear and panic. They were unable to flee because of the blockade from every side," the report posted on activist Web sites said.
"After that, fierce clashes erupted between the heroic Free Syrian Army and Assad's army. Assad's gangs attacked the village school and completely destroyed it. Many people were injured."
A tweet from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said: "Reports of Traymseh massacre are nightmarish - dramatically illustrate the need for binding UNSC measures on Syria."
Seventy-eight people were shot or stabbed or burned alive in the village of Mazraat al-Qubeir, a Sunni hamlet, by fighters of Assad's Alawite sect on June 6, and 108 men, women and children were massacred in the town of Houla on May 25.
Most of Assad's political and military establishment are minority Alawites, who form a branch of Shi'ite Islam. The revolt and the fighters behind it, and the street protesters who launched the revolt in March 2011, are mostly Sunni Muslims.
While the insurgents have been unable to match the Syrian army's firepower, they have established footholds in towns, cities and villages across Syria, often prompting Assad's forces to respond fiercely with helicopter gunships and artillery.
DEFECTING AMBASSADOR CONDEMNS ASSAD
Earlier on Thursday, the first ambassador to abandon Assad called on the army to "turn your guns on the criminals" of the government as troops backed by tanks swarmed into a suburb of Damascus on Thursday to flush out rebels.
Nawaf al-Fares, a Sunni Muslim who has close ties to the security services, was Syria's ambassador to its neighbour Iraq, one of its few friends in the region.
Coming just days after the desertion of Manaf Tlas, a Sunni brigadier general in the elite Republican Guard who grew up with the president, his defection gave the anti-Assad uprising one of its biggest political lifts.
But Assad's strongest strategic ally, Russia, stuck by him on Thursday with a clear warning to his Western and Arab enemies that it would not even consider calls for a tough new resolution by the U.N. Security Council in New York.
Britain circulated a draft on Wednesday, backed by the United States, France and Germany, that would make compliance with a transition plan drafted by international envoy Kofi Annan enforceable under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
This would allow the council to authorise actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention.
British U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant raised the fact that another massacre had reportedly taken place during Security Council negotiations on a resolution on Thursday.
"It goes to show that business as usual for the Security Council is not an option. The Security Council, as requested by Kofi Annan, now needs to apply joint and sustained pressure on the parties, with serious consequences for non-compliance," Lyall Grant said in a statement to Reuters.
But as council members began negotiating a resolution to renew the U.N. Syria monitoring mission, Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Alexander Pankin warned it would use its veto if it had to. "We are definitely against Chapter 7," he said. "Anything can be negotiated, but we do not negotiate this, this is a red line."
Annan himself asked the 15-member council to agree on "clear consequences" if the Syrian government or opposition failed to comply with his plan, which has produced neither a ceasefire nor political dialogue since it was agreed in April.
The British draft threatens the Syrian government with sanctions unless it stops using heavy weapons and withdraws its troops from towns and cities within 10 days.
Assad's opponents say 13,000 armed and unarmed opponents of Assad, and 4,300 members of security forces loyal to Damascus, have been killed since the uprising began.
The defections of Fares and Tlas hint at growing alienation among the Sunni business elite, which had been slow to embrace a revolt that began among poorer parts of the majority community.
Assad's crackdown on what began as a broad, peaceful pro-democracy movement helped turn it into an armed rebellion, but the insurgents know they must erode the loyalty and conviction of his establishment to loosen its hold on power.
Russia and China, both veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have for months blocked attempts to isolate and push out Assad, endorsing his argument that he is defending Syria against armed groups bent on ousting him with the backing of the West and allied Sunni Gulf Arab monarchies. (Additional reporting Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
6:50 PM – 07/12/2012
Hama Revolutionary Council: More Than 220 Killed
According to the Hama
Revolutionary Council, a Syrian opposition group, more than 220 people
have been killed in a new alleged massacre in Taramseh. Earlier reports
said more than 100 people were killed. "More than 220 people fell today
in Taramseh," the Council said in a statement. "They died from
bombardment by tanks and helicopters, artillery shelling and summary
executions."
Fadi Sameh, an opposition activist from Taramseh, told Reuters he had left the town before the reported massacre but was in touch with residents. "It appears that Alawite militiamen from surrounding villages descended on Taramseh after its rebel defenders pulled out, and started killing the people. Whole houses have been destroyed and burned from the shelling," Sameh claimed.
Read more on Reuters.com.
Fadi Sameh, an opposition activist from Taramseh, told Reuters he had left the town before the reported massacre but was in touch with residents. "It appears that Alawite militiamen from surrounding villages descended on Taramseh after its rebel defenders pulled out, and started killing the people. Whole houses have been destroyed and burned from the shelling," Sameh claimed.
Read more on Reuters.com.
6:17 PM – 07/12/2012
Syrian State TV: 'Large Numbers Of Terrorists Killed'
Syrian activist Rami Jarrah
tweets that Syrian State TV has confirmed deaths in Tremseh.
"Terrorists" is often the term used by the Syrian regime for opposition
forces.
| @ AlexanderPageSY : Syrian State TV: clashes between security apparatus & terrorists in #Tremseh of #Hama leaves large numbers of terrorists killed #Syria |
5:36 PM – 07/12/2012
Update: Death Toll In New Massacre Reportedly More Than 200
| @ Reuters : UPDATE: DEATH TOLL IN SYRIAN FORCES' ATTACK ON VILLAGE IN SYRIA'S HAMA REGION IS MORE THAN 200, MOSTLY CIVILIANS - OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS |
5:33 PM – 07/12/2012
Reports Of New Massacre In Hama|
| @ Reuters : At least 100 killed in Syrian village: opposition activists http://t.co/FG3fJwu8 |
4:58 PM – 07/12/2012
Homs, Syria
In this citizen journalism image provided by Shaam News Network SNN,
taken on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, black smoke rises from buildings near
a mosque from purported forces shelling in Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam
News Network, SNN)
4:56 PM – 07/12/2012
HRW: Evidence Of Cluster Munitions Use By Syrian Forces
Videos posted online by a
Syrian activist purport to show remnants of cluster munition, Human
Rights Watch said on Thursday. The footage was reportedly shot in Jabal
Shahshabu near the city of Hama. Opposition forces claim the area is a
rebel stronghold and has been shelled by the Syrian army for weeks.
“These videos show identifiable cluster bombs and submunitions,” said HRW's Steve Goose in a statement. “If confirmed, this would be the first documented use of these highly dangerous weapons by the Syrian armed forces during the conflict.”
Read Human Right's Watch press release here.
“Every day we see helicopters flying over the area and firing at us,” he told Human Rights Watch. “There are also war planes though they fire less frequently. We are also being shelled by artillery.”
Video footage emerging from the area in the past several days has shown remnants from OFAB 250/275 high explosive unguided bombs, which can only be delivered from jet planes (a lighter model, the OFAB 100/120, can also be delivered from helicopters).
A majority of the world’s nations have comprehensively banned the use of cluster munitions through the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which became binding international law in August 2010. Syria is not a party to the convention and did not participate in the 2007-2008 Oslo Process that led to the creation of the treaty, which bans cluster munitions and requires clearance of contaminated areas and assistance to victims. A total of 73 states are party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including Lebanon, while another 38 have signed but not yet ratified.
The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions will be held in Oslo, Norway on September 11 to 14.
In May, new cluster munition use was reported in Sudan, another non-signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In 2011, non-signatories Libya and Thailand also used cluster munitions.
“These videos show identifiable cluster bombs and submunitions,” said HRW's Steve Goose in a statement. “If confirmed, this would be the first documented use of these highly dangerous weapons by the Syrian armed forces during the conflict.”
Read Human Right's Watch press release here.
Online Videos Appear to Show Remnants of the Weapons
-
A screenshot of the YouTube video uploaded by “Afamia1985” shows unexploded Soviet-made AO-1Sch submunitions, small fragmentation bomblets delivered by RBK bombs.
More Coverage:
These videos show identifiable cluster bombs and
submunitions. If confirmed, this would be the first documented use of
these highly dangerous weapons by the Syrian armed forces during the
conflict.
(New York) – A pair of videos
posted online by a user believed to be a Syrian activist on July 10,
2012, appear to show cluster munition remnants, Human Rights Watch said
today. The images include Soviet-produced unexploded submunitions and a bomb canister, apparently found in Jabal Shahshabu, a mountainous area near Hama.
An activist in the area told Human Rights Watch that the region where the cluster remnants were allegedly found has been under sustained bombardment by Syrian forces over the past two weeks.
“These videos show identifiable cluster bombs and submunitions,” said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch. “If confirmed, this would be the first documented use of these highly dangerous weapons by the Syrian armed forces during the conflict.”
An activist in the area told Human Rights Watch that the region where the cluster remnants were allegedly found has been under sustained bombardment by Syrian forces over the past two weeks.
“These videos show identifiable cluster bombs and submunitions,” said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch. “If confirmed, this would be the first documented use of these highly dangerous weapons by the Syrian armed forces during the conflict.”
Arms experts from Human Rights Watch and the Geneva
International Center for Humanitarian Demining said that one video shows
the remnants of a RBK-250 series cluster bomb canister, while the
second shows at least unexploded 15 AO-1Sch submunitions, small
fragmentation bomblets that are delivered by RBK bombs. Both the RBK
cluster bomb and AO-1Sch submunitions are Soviet-made.
The RBK-250 series cluster bomb can only be delivered from a warplane because of its size and the speed necessary for its submunitions to be deployed correctly. A second, larger, explosive submunition also appears in one of the videos, and most likely is a Soviet-produced PTAB-series anti-tank submunition, which would indicate that multiple bombs were dropped during the incident, Human Rights Watch said.
The RBK-250 series cluster bomb can only be delivered from a warplane because of its size and the speed necessary for its submunitions to be deployed correctly. A second, larger, explosive submunition also appears in one of the videos, and most likely is a Soviet-produced PTAB-series anti-tank submunition, which would indicate that multiple bombs were dropped during the incident, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has not yet been able to determine if
civilians in Jabel Shahshabu have been wounded or killed by cluster
munitions.
Cluster munitions can be fired by rockets, mortars, and artillery or dropped by aircraft. They explode in the air, sending dozens, even hundreds, of submunitions or “bomblets” over an area the size of a football field. These submunitions often fail to explode on initial impact, leaving duds that act like landmines.
Cluster munitions can be fired by rockets, mortars, and artillery or dropped by aircraft. They explode in the air, sending dozens, even hundreds, of submunitions or “bomblets” over an area the size of a football field. These submunitions often fail to explode on initial impact, leaving duds that act like landmines.
Syria is not known to have previously used cluster
munitions and it is not believed to be a producer, but it has imported
cluster munitions in the past and has a stockpile. Jane’s Information
Group, a publishing company specializing in military topics, lists Syria
as possessing RBK-250/275 and RBK-500 cluster bombs.
The YouTube videos were uploaded by “Afamia1985,” a user who lists his location as Qal`et al-Madeeq (Castle Strait in English) and who has posted more than 250 videos from Syria since joining YouTube in May 2011. Human Rights Watch was unable to reach “Afamia1985” but spoke to another activist in the region who knows him and confirmed that Afamia1985 was filming in Jabel Shahshabu. The video of the submunitions shows men physically handling the unexploded submunitions, which is extremely dangerous as they can explode during handling.
The mountainous area of Jabel Shahshabu lies northwest of the city of
Hama and extends from the town of Qal`et al-Madeeq to Kafr `Oweid. The
local activist said that the mountainous area is an opposition
stronghold, that many opposition fighters have sought shelter in its
numerous caves, and that the Syrian army and air force have bombarded
the area for the last two weeks.The YouTube videos were uploaded by “Afamia1985,” a user who lists his location as Qal`et al-Madeeq (Castle Strait in English) and who has posted more than 250 videos from Syria since joining YouTube in May 2011. Human Rights Watch was unable to reach “Afamia1985” but spoke to another activist in the region who knows him and confirmed that Afamia1985 was filming in Jabel Shahshabu. The video of the submunitions shows men physically handling the unexploded submunitions, which is extremely dangerous as they can explode during handling.
“Every day we see helicopters flying over the area and firing at us,” he told Human Rights Watch. “There are also war planes though they fire less frequently. We are also being shelled by artillery.”
Video footage emerging from the area in the past several days has shown remnants from OFAB 250/275 high explosive unguided bombs, which can only be delivered from jet planes (a lighter model, the OFAB 100/120, can also be delivered from helicopters).
A majority of the world’s nations have comprehensively banned the use of cluster munitions through the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which became binding international law in August 2010. Syria is not a party to the convention and did not participate in the 2007-2008 Oslo Process that led to the creation of the treaty, which bans cluster munitions and requires clearance of contaminated areas and assistance to victims. A total of 73 states are party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including Lebanon, while another 38 have signed but not yet ratified.
The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions will be held in Oslo, Norway on September 11 to 14.
In May, new cluster munition use was reported in Sudan, another non-signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In 2011, non-signatories Libya and Thailand also used cluster munitions.
2:53 PM – 07/12/2012
Russian Ship Starts New Voyage
The New York Times reports
that a Russian ship believed to be carrying military helicopters
destined for Syria was recorded off Norway's northern coast on Thursday.
The ship, the Alaed, had tried to reach Syria earlier last month but
was forced to turn back after an insurer revoked its coverage.
Read more from the New York Times.
Read more from the New York Times.
12:08 PM – 07/12/2012
Russia Will Not Support New Draft
Russia announced it would
not support a new draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria,
Reuters reports. The draft proposes allowing the Security Council to
authorize diplomatic and economic sanctions against Syria's regime as
well as military intervention. "If they decide to do it [put the
resolution to a vote on Thursday], knowing it would be unacceptable to
us, we will not let it pass," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady
Gatilov said.
12:05 PM – 07/12/2012
Homs, Syria
In this citizen journalism image provided by Shaam News Network SNN,
taken on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, a Syrian boy holds a poster with
Arabic that reads, "and what happens after press conferences, even more
press conferences!" in Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network, SNN)
10:26 AM – 07/12/2012
Defected Ambassador Calls On Army To Turn Against Assad
In a video message posted to
Facebook, former Syrian ambassador to Iraq Nawaf al-Fares called on the
Syrian army to take up arms against the Assad regime. "I ask ... the
members of the military to join the revolution and to defend the country
and the citizens. Turn your guns on the criminals from this regime," he
said.
"I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," al-Fares said in the message. "Every Syrian man has to join the revolution to remove this nightmare and this gang."
Read more on HuffPost World.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/hama-massacre-tramseh_n_1670255.html#875_hrw-evidence-of-cluster-munitions-use-by-syrian-forces
"I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," al-Fares said in the message. "Every Syrian man has to join the revolution to remove this nightmare and this gang."
Read more on HuffPost World.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/hama-massacre-tramseh_n_1670255.html#875_hrw-evidence-of-cluster-munitions-use-by-syrian-forces
Photo: Reuters
