Syria. “Whole families were killed, including women and children.” UN about clashes in Latakia

“During the fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, whole families were killed, including women and children,” the UN Office for Human Rights Thameen Al -Kheeh said, referring to the clashes that took place in Syria in recent days. President Ahmed Al-Szara assured that those responsible for these crimes would be punished, even if they belong to his allies.

On Saturday, the Syrian Human Rights Observatory reported that fighters supporting the new government Syria They attacked several villages near the coast of the country In response to recent attacks on safety forces, conducted by supporters of the overthrown President Bashar al-Assad. On Tuesday, the organization said that from Thursday to Monday nearly 1,100 civilians were killed in the fighting.

UN: whole families were killed

Office spokesman UN Thameen al-Kheeh for human rights said that “whole families were killed.” – During the fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels, accompanied by attacks on the Alawicka minority, whole families were killed, including women and children – he said. – Many of the documented murder cases concerned ad hoc execution – he added. He also pointed out that “executions seemed to be carried out on a religious background.”

Syrian government about clashes with supporters of Bashar al-Assad

The government side claims that the fights began when on Thursday her forces were attacked by supporters of the former Syria leader, Bashar al-Assad, overthrown in December. For areas where security forces clashed with Assad loyalists, armed militias supporting the current government in Damascus. According to the media, they committed attacks on civilians and out -of -court executions.

The temporary authorities of Syria attributed to the murder of “individual activities” of units and announced that they would chase and punish the guilty. The official Syrian Sana agency reported that the authorities arrested at least four men suspected of murdering civilians.

The temporary president of Syria Ahmed Al-Szara assured the Reuters agency that those responsible for crimes would be punished, even if they belong to his allies. – Syria is a state of law that applies to everyone. The law will be observed by everyone. We fought in defense of the oppressed and we will not let the blood be shed unfairly – he said.

Responsibility for crimes

Human Rights Watch (HRW), defending human rights, emphasized on Tuesday that responsibility on crimes must apply to all parties, including groups of Islamists, who “currently create new Syrian security services” – informed the Emiracki daily “Khaleey Times”. “Behind these groups is a well -documented history of violations of human rights and violation of international law,” HRW said. The organization called on the Syrian authorities to “prosecute people responsible for (…) serious crimes.”

Institute of War Studies on the risk of rebellion in Syria

The American Think -Tank – Institute of War Studies (ISW), in the last report, assessed that on the temporary government in Damascus “the risk of rebellion”. On the one hand, Alawici could argue her, fearing religious persecution, which can be supported by Iranian hezbollah smuggling nets. They could motivate them to regain the leading role in the structures of power that this minority enjoyed during the rule of Assad. Former government officials who, according to ISW – may strive to restore smuggling networks may be the second group prone to the rebellion. The temporary government exercising power in Damascus disrupted this activity, depriving Sunnic fighters of the key income stream. “Although the rebellion on the coast, on which the majority are Alawici, and the nasties insurgent cells in the Euphrates region, where Sunni dominates, are currently separate entities with different motivations, with time they can connect into a wider coalition, which would seriously threaten the temporary government of Syria,” ISW warned.

Who are the Alawites

Alawici is one of the very numerous Syrian minorities. Their religion is syncretic and although they come from the Shiite faction of Islam (their beginnings can be sought in the 9th century), many Muslims consider them heretics. The Syrią Clan Assads belonged to this religious group, inhabiting mainly the seaside provinces of Latakia and Tartus and constituting about 12 percent. Syrian population. Alawici was the core of the Asads clan and the security apparatus.

Libanese daily “L'Orient Le Jour”, based on sources in the National Security forces, informed that by Monday through the green border to the neighboring Lebanon At least 10,000 have passed over Alawite.

See also: Clashes in Syria, at least 70 people are dead. “The most brutal attacks aimed at new authorities“