http://english.alarabiya.net
Monday, 13 August 2012

Iranian officers led Syrian regime militias in Homs

Defected Brigadier General Ibrahim al-Jabawi said on Monday that the Syrian regime’s gang-like militia, the Shabiha, were led by Iranian military advisors when they stormed al-Shamas district in Homs. According to Jabawi, each Shabiha group followed an Iranian military advisor, Al Arabiya news channel reported him as saying The defected general said Shamas did not have elements from the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA), but it had people who fled other besieged areas in the central flashpoint city. Criticism is increasing against the FSA for hiding in civilian areas

Jabawi also reported that 10 civilian men were executed and 350 others were detained. 

His account was similar to the opposition Syrian National Council and activist groups on Sunday, when they said that the Shabiha summarily executed 10 civilians during a round-up in Homs. 

“Ten young men were executed in the Shamas neighborhood of Homs city after the army and pro-regime gunmen stormed the area and rounded up 350 young people,” it said.

“The army called from the mosques surrounding the district for all the young men to come out into the streets with their hands behind their heads,” it said.

“Militiamen detained nearly 350 people from the Shamas district, assembled them in a courtyard and executed 10 of them,” activist group, the Syrian Revolution General Council, said.

“The fate of the nearly 340 others is unknown and we fear greatly that they have met the same fate as the 10 martyrs,” the group added.

Three children on a minibus were killed as they tried to flee with their parents from the Shamas district during the military operation, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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