Syrian troops carry out 'organized massacre' of civilians | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
clip from article: BEIRUT -- As government troops advanced on a village in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, activists said, the terrified residents fled into a valley for fear of being arrested or worse. What happened next, one of the activists said, was "an organized massacre."
The troops surrounded the valley and unleashed a barrage of rockets, shells, bombs and gunfire, according to human rights groups and a witness. At least 110 people were killed in one of the bloodiest days of authoritarian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on a nine-month popular uprising.
The U.S. said it was "deeply disturbed" by the attack, and the Arab League reminded the Assad regime of its responsibilities to protect its civilians.
The United Nations said more than 5,000 people have died since March as Syria has sought to put down the uprising -- part of the Arab Spring of protests that toppled leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
Members of Syria's opposition said the bloodshed outside the village of Kfar Owaid, about 30 miles from the northern border with Turkey, was evidence of Assad's intent to intensify the crackdown before Arab League observers are expected to arrive in Syria today.
"It was an organized massacre," said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based activist group. "The troops surrounded people, then killed them." [ read more at link]
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