Syria Reported to Kill 100 on Eve of Visit by Observers
Syrian rights activists and opposition groups said on Wednesday that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had killed more than 100 defecting soldiers, civilians and antigovernment activists over the last three days in northwestern Syria. If confirmed, the killings would constitute one of the worst spasms of violence in the nine—month-old uprising.
Word of the killings, which the activists and opposition groups said had taken place near the city of Idlib near the Turkish border, was reported a day before observers from the Arab League are to visit Syria for the first time to monitor pledges by Mr. Assad’s government to withdraw its troops from besieged areas.
The Syrian government has not responded to reports of the killings, and it was impossible to corroborate them independently because of restrictions on foreign press access in the country, where, according to a United Nations estimate, more than 5,000 people have been killed since March. But in a statement, the secretary general of the Arab League, Nabil al-Araby, suggested the latest reports were credible by expressing concern about them and urging the Syrian government to “protect civilians.”
The Obama administration, which has become increasingly critical of Mr. Assad and has urged him to leave power, also gave credence to the new reports of killings. In a statement, the White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by those reports. “While Syrian security forces have also taken casualties, the overwhelming majority of the violence and loss of life in Syria stems from the actions of the Assad regime, and we call on all parties to put an end to violence,” the statement said.
Activists said the Syrian military forces, using helicopters, tanks and artillery, were continuing their assaults on Wednesday.
The 22-member Arab League, an historically perfunctory body, shocked the Syrian regime more than three weeks ago by condemning Mr. Assad’s harsh repression of the political opposition movement there and threatening harsh economic sanctions. Since then Mr. Assad has maneuvered to stall for time and agreed only a few days ago to allow Arab League monitors to visit.
The government’s opponents have voiced strong doubts about the observer mission, saying that the Syrian government would find ways to keep the monitors from sites of violence.