Syrian rebels kill dozens of Shi'ites in eastern town

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Syrian rebels kill dozens of Shi'ites in eastern town

BEIRUT | Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:35am EDT

(Reuters) - Sunni Muslim insurgents have killed about 60 Shi'ite Muslims in a rebel-held eastern Syrian town where President Bashar al-Assad's agents had been trying to recruit and arm fighters for his cause, according to opposition sources on Wednesday.

The attack was another sign of how a revolt that began more than two years ago with peaceful protests against four decades of Assad family rule is descending into sectarian bloodshed.

A video posted online by rebels on Tuesday, entitled "The storming and cleansing of Hatla" showed dozens of gunmen carrying black Islamist flags celebrating and firing guns in the streets of a small town as smoke curled above several buildings.

"We have raised the banner 'There is no God but God' above the houses of the apostate rejectionists, the Shi'ites, and the holy warriors are celebrating," the voice of the cameraman says.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/12/us-syria-crisis-killings-idUSBRE95B0CT20130612

[pampango]

1. Interestingly, the massacre was reported by "opposition sources", not the regime.

Rather than waiting to see if this would be picked up by the Assad regime, "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group that has reported abuses on both sides of the conflict", publicized the massacre.