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You Can Still See Their Blood” RIGHTS Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, and Hostage Taking WATCH by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside

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You Can Still See Their Blood” RIGHTS Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, and Hostage Taking WATCH by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside HUMAN “You Can Still See Their Blood” RIGHTS Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, and Hostage Taking WATCH by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside “You Can Still See Their Blood” Executions, Indiscriminate Shootings, and Hostage Taking by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside Copyright © 2013 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62313-0640 Printed in the United States of America Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and re- spect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, To- ronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org OCTOBER 2013 ISBN: 978-1-62313-0640 “You Can Still See Their Blood” Executions, Unlawful Killings, and Hostage Taking by Opposition Forces in Latakia Countryside Map .................................................................................................................................... i Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 8 To Armed Opposition Groups ................................................................................................... 8 To the Syrian Opposition Coalition ........................................................................................... 8 To the Syrian Government ........................................................................................................ 8 To the UN Security Council ....................................................................................................... 8 To the Government of Turkey .................................................................................................... 9 To Gulf States .......................................................................................................................... 9 To All Countries ...................................................................................................................... 10 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 11 I. Background: Opposition Offensive in Latakia Countryside ............................................. 13 II. Killings in Latakia Countryside ..................................................................................... 18 Executions and Other Unlawful Killings of Civilians ................................................................. 18 Unlawful Killings in Barouda ................................................................................................... 21 Killing of Shebli Family Members ...................................................................................... 21 Killing of Badour Family Members .................................................................................... 26 Killing of Ftaymeh Family Members ................................................................................... 27 Killing of al-Qusaybeh Family Members ........................................................................... 28 The Killing of Sheikh Bader Ghazzal and Attack on a Religious Site .................................. 28 Unlawful Killings in Nbeiteh .................................................................................................... 30 Killing of Shihadeh and Ibrahim Family Members .............................................................. 31 Killing of Mariam Family Members and Other Residents .................................................... 34 Unlawful Killings in al-Hamboushieh ....................................................................................... 35 Unlawful Killings in Sleibeh al-Hamboushieh ......................................................................... 40 Unlawful Killings in Blouta ..................................................................................................... 49 Unlawful Killings in Abu Makkeh village .................................................................................. 53 Unlawful Killings in Aramo ...................................................................................................... 56 Unlawful Killing in Bremseh .................................................................................................... 56 Unlawful Killing of Members of Al-Da'ee Family ....................................................................... 57 III. Hostage Taking in Latakia Countryside ........................................................................ 58 IV. Opposition Groups Involved in August 4 Attacks .......................................................... 61 Ahrar al-Sham ................................................................................................................. 62 The Islamic State of Iraq and Sham .................................................................................. 64 Jabhat al-Nusra ............................................................................................................... 66 Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar ......................................................................................... 68 Suquor al-Izz .................................................................................................................... 72 V. Other Groups Involved in the “Operation to Liberate the Coast” .................................... 74 Free Syrian Army under Salim Idriss’s Command ............................................................... 74 Ahrar al-Sahel and its Battalions ...................................................................................... 76 Al-Farouq Brigade ............................................................................................................. 78 The Hassan al-Azhari Battalion ......................................................................................... 79 The Heroes of Khirbet al-Jawz and the Oussama Bin Zeid Battalion .................................. 80 Saif Allah al-Masloul, al-Ansar .......................................................................................... 81 Sham al-Islam .................................................................................................................. 81 Sheikh Qahtan Battalion (formerly Al-Tawhid), Ansar al-Sham ......................................... 82 Sons of al-Qadisiyya ......................................................................................................... 83 Suquor al-Sham .............................................................................................................. 84 Thuwar al-Haffeh, Ibrahim Khalil, Al-Shaheed Sino Rebels Battalion ................................. 85 VI. Financial Support to Operation .................................................................................... 87 VII. Access of Foreign Fighters to Syria ............................................................................. 93 IIX. War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity .................................................................. 95 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 97 Annex 1: Identified Fatalities ............................................................................................ 98 Annex 2: Identified Hostages .......................................................................................... 102 Annex 3: Letter to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey .....................................104 Map I HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH|SEPTEMBER 2013 Summary On August 4, 2013, on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of Ramadan, fighters from several different armed opposition groups launched a large scale offensive in Latakia countryside. Between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., the opposition fighters attacked and overran the government army positions guarding the area and in the follow- ing hours entered into and occupied more than 10 Alawite villages. The government launched an offensive to retake the area on August 5 ultimately regaining full control on August 18. This report documents serious abuses committed by opposition forces on August 4 during their attack on the villages. Eight survivors and witnesses described how opposition forces executed residents and opened fire on civilians, sometimes killing or attempting to kill entire families who were either in their homes unarmed or fleeing from the attack, and at other times killing adult male family members, and holding the female relatives and children hostage. At the time of writing, according to opposition sources, over 200 civilians,
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