Syrian troops targeted opposition fighters in Tremseh, says UN

Source: guardian.co.uk, 15 July 2012

The Syrian military attack on Tremseh mainly targeted guerrilla forces and their supporters, the United Nations has said, hours after its observers entered the battered town.

Residents of Tremseh, a small farming community in central Syria, say they were all targets of a bombardment on Thursday that involved mortars, artillery and helicopters. They claim that close to 150 people from the town are dead or missing.

The Syrian foreign ministry said on Sunday that 37 opposition fighters and two civilians had been killed in an operation against rebels who were using the town as a base to launch attacks on other areas.

The conflicting claims came as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it now regarded the violence in Syria as a civil war – a significant distinction that means international humanitarian law now applies in the country and any attacks on civilians and the abuse or killing of detainees could now constitute war crimes.

Commenting on the killings, Ribal Al-Assad, the Director of the ODFS, said:

“I condemn this barbaric crime. There must be an independent UN investigation and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Unfortunately it appears to be part of a series of evil acts carried out along sectarian lines, which are taking Syria towards a fully fledged civil war. I call on both sides in the Syrian conflict to halt the violence and move towards dialogue and a peaceful transition as that is the only way forward.”