Aqrab massacre: different stories

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have now declared that there are 3 Conflicting stories regarding the nature of the civilian massacre in Aqrab.

3 different stories have emerged as to what caused the death and injury of 125-150 civilians, almost all from an Alawite background, in the town of Aqrab as a result of a series of explosions and gunfire. The town is in the southern neighbourhood of Hama and it is near the town of Houla, which witnessed a massacre on the 25th of May.

The first narrative claims that there were 10 pro-regime gunmen who were barricaded in residential buildings with 150 civilians (Alawites also). A delegation was sent to the buildings, made up of 2 Sheikhs and 1 retired officer from the town, in order to negotiate the moving of Alawite civilians out of the building. the delegation was not allowed to leave. Clashes then took place between the pro-regime gunmen and rebel fighters from the neighbouring Houla town, explosions then took place which led to the civilian casualties. 2 rebels were also reported to have killed, also reports that the 3 person delegation was killed, and the head of the pro-regime militia.

The second narrative is that a series of explosions went off by the buildings inhabited by Syrian Alawites civilians in the town.

The third narrative is that pro-regime militiamen held Alawite civilians captive in the buildings, and that the rebels attempted to free the civilians, causing several explosions which led to the death of the 125-150 civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights urges the UN to form an independent investigation committee, which include to examine what occurred in the town of Aqrab in order to bring all those responsible for this crime to justice.

More information on the first version ( Shabiha massacre against the civilians), an eyewitness testimony of what happened in Aqrab, Hama on Tuesday December 11th, 2012:

The Free Syrian Army surrounded a building belonging to regime loyalists in Aqrab village, which was occupied by regime forces who had taken women and children (mostly Allawite) captive to use them as human shields to protect themselves from attack by the FSA. After this, a group of eight senior figures in the village, including Sheikh Ali Al-Omar Sheikh Saa’do Hamash and retired Colonel Shaker Akkash went to negotiate the release of the women and children, and to ask the regime forces to turn themselves in, promising their safety.

These community leaders were kidnapped, however, in an attempt to pressurise the FSA, which retreated from the building as instructed. Immediately after this, the regime shabiha killed all eight of the negotiators and fled, throwing hand grenades into the building still housing the women and children as they attempted to escape in an attempt to frame the FSA for the despicable attack.Regime forces also fired missiles and ordered air strikes on the building, destroying it completely and killing almost all of the 200 – 250 civilians (including women and children) inside. Some people survived the massacre and verified this report.
This is the testimony of one of the children who escaped:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G3St4ux50PY

He notably says :  “The shabiha came and told us that they want to protect us from the rebels. Then, they would not let us go. They killed my father, mother and my brother.”

In the following video, one of the FSA soldier says few times he’s against sectarianism and he’s not sectarian, accusing Assad of trying to divide Syrians.

This following article also show a different versions of the massacre:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/world/middleeast/alawite-massacre-in-syria.html?_r=0

We will provide new information if anything new does come out.