It was reported by Ziad Fadel of Syrian Perspective that death squads operating in Syria had once again committed a massacre against civilians, this time in a town known as Adra. Fadel claimed that Christians, Druze, and Alawites had been specifically targeted and that many had been killed by being burned alive in bakery ovens.
On December 16, RT confirmed Syrian Perspective’s reports both of the massacre by the death squads, as well as the gruesome methods used to kill some of the victims.
At this time, it is being reported that at least 80 civilians have been executed by death squad forces currently occupying Adraa, a town located northwest of Damascus. Like the Maaloula nuns, many other civilians have been kidnapped in order to be held for ransom or as human shields.
RT Arabic correspondent Abultaleb Albohaya, reporting on the ground in Syria, stated,
For now it’s established that over 80 people were killed in the areas now taken over by the army. Often whole families were murdered.A local resident told RT about the manner in which some of the victims were killed as well as the identity of the killers.
Some families were kidnapped in order to be used as human shields in areas where the Syrian army is now trying to free the civilians.
The military sources also said that the other kidnapped families were moved to the area south of Adra in the direction of the town of Douma, which has been the opposition’s strategic backland since the start of the Syrian crisis [in March, 2011]. It’s also where the most important rebel fortifications are situated.
The situation was terrible – with killing, atrocities, and fear as the background.Syrian Perspective reports that entire families were rounded up and killed – many because of their religious affiliation (Christian, Alawite, Druze, etc.). Unconfirmed reports also suggest that death squads murdered the mayor of Adra along with his wife and children.
Unidentified armed men came into town, but it was obvious that they were Jabhat al-Nusra militants.
The worst crime they committed was that they toasted people in ovens used to bake bread when those people came to buy it. They kidnapped and beat up many.
Although the number of dead stands at 80 at the time of the writing of this article, the number is expected to rise after the Syrian military retakes the town, which has a population of about 20,000. Al-Ahd, an Iraqi television news agency, is reporting that the number of civilians taken hostage and the potential for civilian casualties is the reason that the Syrian military has largely refrained from using artillery in the area. With the military assault on Adraa now taking place, however, one can only wait and see if the hesitation to use such munitions continues to hold out.
The death squads remain strong in Adra with snipers placed in high-rise buildings posing a major threat to government forces and civilians alike, as well as the fact that a variety of Jihadist groups have also been operating in the town. In addition to Jobhat al-Nusra, Jaysh al-Islam is also known to occupy have a sizeable force in Adra.
Still, the Syrian military seems poised to retake the town. Government forces have already pinned down a highway leading from Adra to the International airport in Damascus, the airport being located only 4 kilometers away from the capital. Al-Ahd reports that the government does not rule out the possibility that the death squads, who stormed into Adra in large numbers, could break the blockade and enter the town of Dahiyat al Assad.
Nevertheless, government forces have surrounded the entire town and are engaged in offensive operations to liberate Adra. Already, several smaller operations have taken place against the death squads, resulting in the death of dozens of jihadists. According to Syrian Perspective, the Syrian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that, out of the dead “rebels,” at least 22 of them were Saudi Arabian.
RT reports that SAA troops have entered Adra and are storming every house in an effort to cleanse the town of death squad forces. Government statements suggest that the SAA has already rescued dozens of Alawite, Druze, and Christian families from captivity.
Syrian Perspective claims that, as a result of the horrific atrocities committed by the death squads in Adra, the Syrian military has been given orders to “take no prisoners.” The SAA will, no doubt, be happy to comply with these orders considering that the desire for revenge for the Adra massacre and a host of other atrocities committed against the Syrian people are running high.
Indeed, the shocking act of violence perpetrated against the innocent people of Adra is but one in the long list of atrocities committed by foreign-backed death squads in Syria.
Unfortunately, as long as Western money continues to flow into the coffers of the jihadists, it will not likely be the last.
*The author Brandon Turbeville has published over 275 articles dealing on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties.
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