Wednesday 1 January 2014 Most Prominent massacres committed by government forces against civilians in 2013 Introduction As well known among human rights activists, there are many definitions of the massacre, but the most common one is the mass murder for more than 5 persons or more unable to defend themselves in specific place and time. If we apply this definition of the daily mass killings committed by government forces, we would count at least 3 to 4 massacres a day, that is mean government forces led by Bashar Al-Assad have committed at least 1300 massacres in 2013, all of them recorded day to day by Syrian Network Human Right’s daily operation in documentation causalities. These massacres led to kill more than 24000 civilian victims of more than 33000 the civilian victims toll in 2013, most of them killed by the 24 hours shelling on different Syrian governorates, using Scud missiles, bar- rel bombs throw from Helicopters, MIG’ missiles, artillery shelling, mortar shelling, chemical weapons, and filed executions usually by shot in head, slaughtering by knifes in many sectarian massacres and ethnic cleans- ing as those in Baniyas of Tartous and Jdidt Alfadl of Damascus countryside. Syrian Network for Human Right’s chairman and founder Fadel Abdulghani said” Security council of United Nations didn’t pay any regard to Articles, on which United Nations was grounded as Article 34 and Article 39, remained hostage by Russian- Chinese veto, and didn’t apply Responsibility to Protect principle that was approved by Assembly General in 2005, if these articles wouldn’t applied in Syria, then when and where ??! “ The report can’t include narratives of 1300 massacres, so we choose overview of the most prominent massacres committed by government forces in 2013. 69 massacre included in this report led to kill at least 3934 victims distributed as follows: Fighters: 55 Civilians: 3879 including 879 children and 602 women. On the other hand Armed groups whether were affiliated to the opposition or the one that considered as a third party, committed at least 5 massacres one in executing prisoners in Khan Al-Assal of Aleppo , other three were sectarian massacres committed in Lattakia countryside, and Hatla massacre of Dier ez-Zoor. Syrian Network for Human Rights noticed that Aleppo topped the list in 2013 with 25 massacres committed by government forces, the biggest was Haidarya neighborhood massacre, where Syrian Air Force threw barrel bombs led to kill 132 victims including 42 children and 13 ladies. Followed by Damascus countryside with 17 massacres, most prominent was shelling Eastern and Western Ghouta with chemical weapons, it considered the biggest massacre in 2013 and even in the history of the Syrian revolution. 1 [email protected] www.sn4hr.org 69 Massacres distributed according to the Syrian governorates with number of victims as follows: - Aleppo: 25 massacres led to kill 1313 people, including 338 children and 175 ladies 3 of them were pregnant - Damascus countryside: 17 massacres led to kill 1688 people, including 55 fighters, and among the civilians there were 343 children and 279 ladies . - Baniyas of Tartous: 2 sectarian massacres led to kill 473 people, including 98 children and 75 ladies. - Homs: 8 massacres led to kill 180 people, including 45 children and 30 ladies. - Daraa: 7 massacres led to kill 140 people, including 30 children and 29 ladies. - Damascus: 6 massacres led to kill 76 people, including 5 children a lady. - Idlib: 3 massacres led to kill 50 people, including 8 children and 10 ladies. - Hama: massacre led to kill 14 people, including 3 ladies . Report’s Details: Damascus and countryside governorate: 1- Moazamiah Al-Sham 2/1/2013 Government forces shelled the western side of the city near the schools complex, SNHR could document the kill of 42 victims including 10 children and a lady, 12 of them were from the same family. 2- Mliah 2/1/2013 Government forces shelled Al-Nawra fuel station north of the city by MIG, it was crowded with citizens, SNHR could document by name the kill of 44 of 75 victims, the rest couldn’t be recognized. 3- Doma 3/1/2013 Government’s Air Force using warplanes shelled the city 7 times within one hour, targeted residential build- ings in Omar bin Khatab street and the nearby area of Al-Raham mosque, SNHR could document the kill of 29 victims including 8 children and 5 ladies, many family remained under rubbles. 4- Husainiyah of Palestinian refugee camp 17/1/2013 Warplanes of Government forces shelled camp, SNHR could document the kill of 15 victims including 7 children and 3 ladies. 5- Haran Al-A’wamid 20/1/2013 Government forces shelled a car that was moving family from Haran Al-Awamid area towards Barka area, SNHR could document the kill of 11 victims including a girl child and a lady. 6- Daria 26/1/2013 Government forces located in the city on Karina checkpoint and Maroaha checkpoint executed 13 detainees and burned their bodies, after being held for 45 days at Karina checkpoint. 7- Moazamiah Al-Sham 15/3/2013 Government forces shelled the mosque of the city by artillery, where it targeted the mosque with three shells , SNHR could document the kill of 13 victims including 2 ladies, and more than 25 injuries. 8- Kafar Batna 24/3/2013 Government forces heavily and indiscriminately shelled the city by missiles, which led to huge material and hu- man looses, SNHR could document the kill of 18 victims including a child and a lady, and more than 25 injuries. 9- Kafar Batna 31/3/2013 Government forces shelled the city, which led to tens of victims and wounded, SNHR could document the kill of 15 victims including 9 children, and more than 40 injuries. 2 [email protected] www.sn4hr.org 10- Jdidt Al-Fadl from 16/4/2013 to 23/4/2013 executions against many residents, SNHR could Government forces have surrounded the city and document the kill of at least 399 victims :38 armed cut off electricity and communications, that was ac- rebels, and 361 civilians 98 children and 94 ladies. companied with artillery shelling carried out by the 17- Bait Sahm 18/12/2013 regiment 100 on Moali neighborhood, followed by Government forces have shot civilians were trying storming especially from the northern sides and ac- to flee out of the town, SNHR could document the companied with heavy and violent shelling by regi- kill of 45 victims including a child and 8 ladies. ment 100 and regiment 135 stationed at the top of a 18- Dmir city 15/12/2013 hill known as Kawkab of Artouz area. Government’s warplanes carried out many shells on Government forces carried out field executions the city, led to mass destruction in civilian buildings against the residents, SNHR could document the kill and many victims, SNHR could document the kill of 191 victims :17 armed rebels, and 174 civilians 9 of 32 victims including 12 children and 2 ladies, and children 8 ladies, in addition to tens of missing and more than 200 injuries of unarmed civilians. more than 120 detainees. 19- Qadam city 8/2/2013 11- Doma- Nashabia 14/4/2013 Government forces stormed many areas in the city, Government’s warplanes shelled the town in the and carried out many field executions against en- early morning of 14/4/2013, SNHR could document tire families of civilians, who refused to leave their the kill of 10 victims including 9 children and a lady, homes, SNHR could document the kill of 14 victims they were displaced from Obada village. including a child and a lady. 12- Yabroud 17/5/2013 20- Jobar 13/2/2013 Government’s Forces shelled the city by artillery, Government forces shelled the neighborhood tar- rocket launchers followed by warplanes shelling geting the big mosque and Kharaz area, SNHR and surface to surface missiles, SNHR could docu- could document the kill of 16 victims. ment the kill of 15 victims including a child and 3 20- Jobar 26/2/2013 ladies, more than 50 injuries, in addition to great de- Government forces shelled the neighborhood by struction of many buildings. mortars and rocket launchers, SNHR could docu- 13- Kafar Batna 2/7/2013 ment the kill of 10 victims, including 4 children Government forces heavily shelled the city by mis- three of them are from the same family. siles, targeting areas in the centre of the city, SNHR 21- Architectural colleague in Damascus university could document the kill of 15 victims including 5 28/3/2013 children and 2 ladies, and more than 50 injuries Government forces shelled the colleague by mor- most of them from children and women and were in tars, SNHR could document the kill of 15 victims. critical conditions. 22- Yarmouk refugee camp 31/3/2013 14- Eastern and Western Ghouta - chemical weap- Government forces shelled the area with two mis- ons 21/8/2013. siles from Alboaba area (Almidan neighborhood) on Government forces shelled areas in the eastern Gh- Taqadom neighborhood in Yarmouk camp , SNHR outa, and after two hours they shelled other areas in could document the kill of 11 victims. the western Ghouta, according to defected experts, 10 23- Qabon 14/4/2013 missiles were launched, capacity of each was 20 Liter. Government warplanes ( MIG ) shelled the neigh- SNHR could document the kill of 813 victims in- borhood by sudden two missiles’ airstrikes, one cluding 172 children and 148 ladies. of them targeted residential area in the neighbor- 15- Al-Nabk from 20/11/2013 to 27/12/2013 hood, SNHR could document the kill of 10 victims Government forces have imposed besiege on the city 3 of them were from the same family and other 2 for 13 days before storming , and carried out field children from another family.