Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The political role of the Qatari-funded Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

"The opposition Syrian National Coalition on Sunday condemned the reported "collective execution" by rebels of soldier prisoners in the north and said it had created a commission of inquiry. At least 150 Syrian regime forces died in fighting with rebels for control of Khan al-Assal, a key town in the northern Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.  It said more than 50 of those killed were executed by rebels after Khan al-Assal fell on Monday, while the rest died fighting for the regime's last bastion in the west of Aleppo province. The mainstream rebel Ninth Division of the FSA claimed responsibility for taking Khan al-Assal in a video statement distributed on Monday. But footage distributed on Friday by the Observatory said jihadists including the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front and Liwa Ansar al-Khilafa were behind the takeover." (thanks Basim)