Syrian Coalition: Assad Militias’ Slaughter of 16 Civilians East of Hama Must not Pass Unpunished

Nagham Al Ghadiri, member of the political committee, condemns the massacre committed by regime forces against 16 displaced people in the village of Tal Khaznah east of Hama. Activists said that pro-regime militiamen stormed the village and stabled the victims to death, among them four women and an autistic child. “The massacre comes in the context of the systematic crimes that violate all human rights conventions, and further demonstrates the barbarity of the Assad regime towards the Syrian people who rose up demanding freedom and democracy. The Assad regime lies when it claims that it is targeting insurgents only, and it aims through these wholesaleq killings to intimidate the Syrian people and bring them to their kneels.” Al Ghadiri also said that “while the Assad regime has been sitting still for the terror practiced by ISIS, it continues to target unarmed civilians in the rebel-held areas. We therefore call on the international community to take urgent action to protect the displaced people from Assad’s criminal militias. The targeting of the displaced people under the under the pretext that they are sleeper cells is unacceptable and violates all human rights laws. ” (Source: Syrian Coalition)