Assad troops 'kill 106 in one village'

Up to 106 people, including women and children, were killed as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad swept through a small farming village, torching houses and shooting and stabbing residents, activists claimed today.

The assault on Haswiyeh, near Homs, took place on Tuesday but came to light only today. The attack appeared to have sectarian motives and bore a resemblance to one last May that killed 108 people in the nearby village of Houla.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some of the dead were “burnt inside their homes”. A government official flatly denied the report, saying no such killings took place.