Syria opposition slams village ‘massacre’

5 May Worldpress.org

The Syrian opposition has denounced the “large-scale massacre” by troops and militiamen in the village of al-Baida after an activist group said at least 50 people were killed. The Syrian National Coalition called for international action, citing witness reports of civilians being stabbed to death in al-Baida, a village outside the port of Baniyas. “The Coalition calls on the Arab League and the United Nations to act rapidly to save the civilians of al-Baida, Baniyas and other villages across Syria,” a statement said , accusing the regime of “war crimes and genocide.

It is time for the world to intervene and put an end to the grievous crimes of the Assad regime.”

Opposition activists said at least 28 people died on Friday as violence in al-Baida continued into its second day.

Syrian troops were still in the Sunni village on Friday, conducting house-to-house searches, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) director, Rami Abdul Rahman.He added that phone and internet service to the village had been cut, making it impossible to verify the final death toll in Thursday's violence.

Government forces and militia members loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stormed the coastal village on Thursday, killing between 50 and 100 people including women and children, according to opposition activists.The UK-based SOHR said the death toll would increase and could reach more than 100, with many of those killed appearing to have been “summarily executed” by shooting or stabbing.

There were reports that the raid came in response to rebels attacking a busload of pro-Assad fighters, known as shabiha, earlier in the day, killing at least six and wounding up to 20 more.

Due to reporting restrictions in Syria, Al Jazeera cannot independently verify reports of violence.Syria's official SANA news agency said troops killed “terrorists”, the regime term for the rebel fighters, and seized arms.Elsewhere in Syria, SANA reported that rebels had fired two rockets at Damascus International Airport on Friday, hitting an aircraft and a fuel dump sparking a massive fire.

This was the first time state media reported an attack on the airport, despite regular claims by the rebels that they have fired on the transport hub.The area, about 30km southeast of the capital, has been the site of sporadic fighting since the start of the conflict which has, at times, interrupted air traffic.