Hatla massacre
| Hatla massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Syrian civil war | |
| Location | Hatla, Deir ez-Zor, Syria |
| Date | 11 June 2013 |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 30–60 |
The Hatla massacre was the killing of 60 Shia villagers, including some who were armed, conducted by Syrian rebels in the eastern Syrian village of Hatla, near Deir ez-Zor, on 11 June 2013 during the Syrian civil war. At least 30 of the dead were civilians.[2][3][4] According to a UN report, 30 people were killed.[5]
A video posted online on 11 June, entitled "The storming and cleansing of Hatla", showed fighters waving the black Salafi flag and celebrating. The language used in the videos is sectarian. "This is the Shia, this is the Shia carcass, this is their end," the cameraman says. That video "indicates those responsible were non-Syrians, possibly from Kuwait."[6] According to a Facebook page of Islamist activists from the area, members of the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic extremist Al-Nusra Front rebel groups were involved.[1][dead link][citation needed]
The attack and capture of the village by the rebels was reportedly in retaliation for an attack by Shia pro-government fighters from the village, a day earlier. The Shia militiamen had attacked a rebel position near the village, killing four rebels.[4]
According to opposition activists, most of the dead were pro-government fighters but civilians were killed as well, including women and children.[7][1] Three Shia clerics were also among the dead.[8] The state news agency, SANA, said that 30 civilians were killed.[2] Rebels also burned civilian houses and a Shia mosque during the takeover.[9][1] 10 rebel fighters were killed during the attack. 150 Shia residents fled to the nearby government-held village of Jafra.[4]
The incident may be seen as underlining 'the deepening sectarian nature of the struggle in Syria'.[7] The Kuwaiti sheik, Shafi al-Ajmi, threatened more killings against government supporters with attacks on the Shia villages of Nubl and al-Zahraa, near Aleppo.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Syrian Extremist Rebels Raid Shiite Village[dead link]
- ^ a b c Dozens of Shiites Reported Killed in Raid by Syria Rebels
- ^ Agence France-Presse (12 June 2013). "60 Shiite villagers killed as France warns of 'turning point' in Syria". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ a b c Syrian rebels attack village in country's east, killing dozens of local Shiites, activists say[dead link]
- ^ "Assad regime accused of string of Syria massacres in UN report". Telegraph.co.uk. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ "Syria: 60 Shia Muslims massacred in rebel 'cleansing' of Hatla". The Independent. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Syria rebels 'kill Shia residents of eastern village'". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ "UN says 93,000 killed in Syria amid reports of new massacre". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ^ "Reports of 'massacre' in eastern Syria". Al Jazeera. 12 June 2013.
