Talk:Abel massacre

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Suggested Re-Purposing of this Page

I just discovered a fascinating March 27 massacre like Abel but 4 times the size and two days later, and in the same area of deliberately confused control. And then there are later killings in the same area, same style, through the end of the month, as I was already noting here months ago. It occurs to me there should be one space to cover all these, which seem so interrelated. It's too much for that already bloated page, but not worth new pages. So I think this page will best be expanded to cover and consider these all together, March 25 (or ealier if I see anything) to at least the 31st. It doesn't include the Talkalakh Massacre, directly. Too far off. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:32, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

One could move the old page to Abel massacre (March 25, 2013) and put the later, larger massacre to Abel massacre or Abel massacre (March 27, 2013). Abel massacre vould become a disambiguation page. But as the two dates are so close, I do not think we should cover them separately. If the material grows even bigger we can create subpages like in Houla and August 21 CW attack. How about Abel massacre/March 25 and Abel massacre/March 27? -- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:23, 21 January 2014 (UTC)
Disambiguation works, maybe just built into the top of the same page. Broadly, Abel Massacre could refer to all these in this area and time (with an argument about the 27th "in" Baba Amr) But I think all these blur together too much to have their own pages. It was happening at the beginning, best to just accept that, enshrine it, and have sections, overall summary later. Only the 2012 Abel massacre needs disambiguated then. But whatever works. I was thinking simple. --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:52, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

Locations

Homs Abel 2013 Map.png

The area of these massacres is worth some sorting out.

The first and most widely reported (with video) of the massacres was credited to Abel/Abil, on Wikimapia. 7.5 km south of Baba Amr district, Homs, 4.5 km east of Qatina, just west and a number of Army facilities, 10 km NE of Al-Qusayr Military air base, 16 km from Qusayr, near the Lebanese border, 30 km SE of Taldou. Just had a few minutes' fun measuring things. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC) and --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:39, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

More specifically, the sources cite the locale as "on the outskirts of the village," "at the edges of the villages, on the Damascus-Homs International Roadway )north-south on the map above) next to al-Kounafi checkpoint," "in one of the village farms," which might be "al-Bouz farm," whose guard (?) was killed too, and his family went missing. I haven't been able to pin down any of these locales on the map just yet. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:55, 29 March 2013 (UTC)

The emphasis on the "international highway" is apparently crucial. On the 29th, the LCC reported "8 martyrs bodies were found after being killed by regime forces, thier bodies were cut with knives and burned in the village farms near by the International Highway, it is known that the district is under regime forces control." Abel is also on or quite near the Homs-Qusayr Highway, which is just as likely relevant, especially since the details they provide to underscore that argument may not be true. Further down, the same report notes: "Homs: FSA controls a tank in Homs-Qoser international way near Barghourth checkpoint. - Homs: Qusseir: The FSA destroys 2 tanks at Homs-Qusseir road." Therefore, the massacres were ... a little further that way. Either way, rebels were able to get there too, almost as soon as the bodies were done burning, and document the scene without challenge. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:32, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

Other locations: Victims of the 27th, mainly named al-Taleb, are from Buweida al Sharqiya (translating, oddly enough, eastern egg) just south of Abel. It's said they had wound up in Baba Amr and were killed there, so rebels could have no hand in it. Other al-Talebs continued dying in their hometown, however, before and after this, and mainly from "shelling." Rebels were near enough to document some of those on the 31st, and of course that means they were roughly in mortar range of the victims right before that.

Jouret Arayes ( جورة العرايس ) is a less clear area that's apparently inside the area Wikimapia marks as Baba Amr. It doesn't seem to appear on Wikimapia properly, but two red dots appear, on the eastern edge of Baba Amr - a house of Mr. Muhammad Naeem Masood, and a dirt lot across the street in "Baba Amr East." On Facebook, there's a page Martyrs Jourat Arayes and Baba Amr, and a video (related) of April 3, 2013: "destruction in the neighborhood Baba Amr Jouret Arayes." Pro-government sources said on the 24th "Syrian Army restores Baba Amro and Free Army militia escapes to Joret al-Arayes," and 2 victims of the Baba Amr massacre of the 27th are listed at the VDC as from "Jouret Arayes."

Prior Area Massacres

2012 Abel Massacre - last time before this rebels had been decisively kicked out of Baba Amr, the areas south witnessed a bloodbath, targeting many of the same families, in fact. See here.

There is a video for another prior massacres in this town - of birds. (??) Partly domestic (chickens and ducks), so maybe a livestock massacre (helps people reconcile to moving away, etc.) and also pigeons. FNN Syria Homs Abel massacre against birds 16 11 2012 (18 views)

Area Military Situation

Baba Amr, the frequent rebel hotbed/stronghold of Homs, has been getting clobbered lately, with reports suggesting the government has once again secured it in the last couple of days. Rebel fighters will have withdrawn. 7 km south seems one reasonable direction and distance. Details coming. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

Syrian Media sources say that “Syrian Arab Army managed to re-establish its full control over Baba Amro neighborhood of Homs”.
Syrian Newspaper al-Watan points out that “Syrian Army has taken control over the neighborhood after sieging the armed men in Joret al-Arayes neighborhood and has imposed a security Conrad on their places, where they holed up”.
The newspaper adds that “Some of the members of the militia have escaped to Joret al-Arayes neighborhood, while dozens of them have been killed, including the leader of one of the battalions Abed al-Muneem al-Nahar, the defetcted Khalid Refa’at al-Zubi, Ahmad Qara Dalla, Muhammad Shawish, Jneed al-Ebrahimi , Mahmoud Shtewi, Walid al-Alloush and Talal al-Helal”. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)
Homs province: Regular forces have taken control over large parts of the Baba Amr neighbourhood after several days of violent clashes, the clashes continue in the orchards of Baba Amr. 1 man from the city of Tadmur was killed after being detained by regime forces. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

Three days later, March 28, a rebel Facebook page shares this:

ريف حمص الجنوبي قرية آبل
الآن قصف يقذائف الهاون والدبابات على القرية من حاجز فتحة السلطان وكتيبة شنشار الصاروخية
اللهم سلم يارب
2013-3-28
Homs southern village of Apple (Abel) - Now bombing mortar Ikmaiv and tanks on the village of Sultan slot barrier and Hnchar battalion rocket - O Allah, peace Lord - 03/28/2013

Suggesting rebels wound up in charge of part of that area and thus brought on bombardment. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:38, 29 March 2013 (UTC)

March 25 Massacre

One of the purported victims, being forced by purported Shabiha to say rebels had captured them [1]

Yalla Souriya passes on the most horrifically details story, presumably from some of the best-informed rebel sources:

The regime’s shabiha attempted to storm Abel village in the suburbs of Homs, and the Free Syrian Army fought them back. As the shabiha were withdrawing from the area, they arrested two entire families of women, children and elderly men from the al-Ahmed and al-Mahmoud families. This took place at the edges of the villages, on the Damascus-Homs International Roadway next to al-Kounafi checkpoint.
The shabiha then filmed the detainees, forcing them to say that it was them who saved the civilians from armed gangs. After they completed filming, the shabiha tortured the civilians in the most brutal of ways. They tied them up and attacked them with knives. Some of them were slaughtered and others were stabbed, and some were beat with a stone on top of their heads. Not a single one survived.
After fatally torturing, the shabiha gathered the victims and slaughtered them using daggers and knives, and then burnt them, women and children included, completely. [2]

VDC: 14 martyrs from Abel March 25. The Mahmouds are represented, but not so much the Ahmeds. The VDC attaches this note:

Regime forces reportedly committed a massacre when they executed more than 20 persons ,including women and children,at the outskirts of Abel Village before their withdrawal. Two families, AlAhmad and Almahmoud , were slaughtered after being tortured while their bodies then burnt. ...

No full victims table is needed, just a list. Clearly, the VDC just goofed and listed most Ahmeds as more Mahmouds. They list one victims the YS report doesn't, for 14 specified victims. On the left, YS, right, VDC, generally given in the same order even (AM = Adult Male, etc.).

  1. Qattash al-Mahmoud, age 70 Qattash al-Mahmoud AM age 70
  2. Hawash al-Ahmed, age 65 Hawash al-Mahmoud AM
  3. Nusra al-Mahmoud, age 70 Nasra al-Mahmoud AF Wife Of Martyr Katash al-Mahmoud
  4. Mahmoud al-Mahmoud, age 45 Mahmoud Katash al-Mahmoud
  5. Khudra al-Ahmed, age 42 - Khadra al-Mahmoud Wife Of Martyr Mahmoud Katash al-Mahmoud
  6. Huda al-Mahmoud, age 28 - Houda Mahmoud al-Mahmoud
  7. Fouad al-Mahmoud, age 37 - Fouaad Qatash al-Mahmoud age 37
  8. Humaida al-Mahmoud, age 36 - Hamida al-Mahmoud age 36 Wife Of Fouad Katash al-Mahmoud
  9. Ghazeya al-Ahmed, age 35 Ghazeih Ayfier age 35 Wife Of Martyr Hawash al-Ahmad
  10. Ahmed al-Ahmed, age 3 Ahmad Ali Mahmoud age 3, Mother's Name: Huda Mahmoud
  11. Haidar al-Ahmed, age 2
  12. Sajeda al-Ahmed, age 1
  13. Ahmed al-Mahmoud, age 9
  14. (missing) - Ghazeih al-Ahmad AF age 35
Ahmed children have a Mahmoud mother, an Ahmed woman is married to a Mahmoud, and separately (?) Mahmoud is added to entries it doesn't belong on. But unless it's even more deeply mixed up than that, it seems these two target families were intermarried, in two spots apparently.

This enables some guesses as to who might be in the picture inset above. Presuming the same pool of people, looking for a middle-aged woman, it could be Khadra, Hamida, or either Ghazieh. Anyone who could get a more specific age guess might narrow it down further. --Caustic Logic (talk) 08:58, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

Neither list includes the guard "Abu Saed" both say was killed, nor his 6-7 family members variously missing or, implicitly, killed. Yalla Souriya noted: "The guard of al-Bouz farm, known as Abu Saeed, was also killed. He is from Hama, and his family, comprising a mother, father, three children and two young women, are missing until now." [2] The VDC's version: "Also, they killed the guard of Albouz farm ,who was called Abu Saied ,from Hama, and his family comprising 6 person including his wife." This implies they were also killed, but the sentence is missing a period, and perhaps some words, at the end. But to clarify, the notes say "more than 20 were killed," to the 14 listed. And, in fact, these victims appear, death date March 25, under martyrs from Hama, with the same "more than 20 victims" note. 8 names appear, but one is a coincidence, for 7 related hits. [3] A second list in the same manner covers the 23 total victims of this operation. Note: Abu Saed is not a proper name - none of these people is properly named.

  1. "Abu Saeed" guard of al-Bouz farm - Abo Sa'eid AM Married and has 5 children, Worker: Farm Guard. Martyrdom location: Homs: Abel village
  2. (no wife mentioned) - Abo Sa'eid's wife AF Married and has 5 children, Martyrdom location: Homs: Abel village
  3. a young woman - Abo Sa'eid's daughter 1 AF
  4. another young woman - Abo Sa'eid's daughter 2 AF (possible variations in "young woman" matching between these three)
  5. child 1 - Abo Sa'eid's son 1 CM
  6. child 2 - Abo Sa'eid's son 2 CM
  7. child 3 - Abo Sa'eid's son 3 CM
  8. his mother - (missing)
  9. his father - (missing)

March 27 Massacre

moved from Talk:Homs Massacres#March 27 Massacre Special Workspace
Barya Ibrahim Sabouh, age 76

It took me a while to spot it, but this seems to be 2013's answer to the 2012 Sultaniya Massacre - some 58 civilians, men and several women, apparently no children, but several elderly (up to 98 - see Sharifa Bakkar), reportedly killed in Baba Amr just after the rebel defeat there. However, some were from a town south of Homs, and the details sound like a cross between the apparent hostage-slayings of the previous year, and the extra-brutal Abel Massacre of two days before this, in the towns south of Baba Amr (the last functioning rebel units had fled a government re-conquest, apparently to the south, on about the 24th).

Sources

LCC

I checked March 26, 27, and 28 reports for any clues to this case, but there were no direct ones - no massacre mentioned. Another source mentions the news only trickled out slowly, so clearly later days should be checked too. And I will if no one beats me to it. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

Possible clues from the earlier reports: March 26: 8 Homs martyrs out of 154 nationwide. Major development: "Homs: The FSA liberated Tal Nabi Mando checkpoint which was shelling the city's suburbs, and killed and captured many of regime forces in this operation, in addition to destroying of several vehicles among them 2 tanks." "Homs: Qusair: The FSA liberates Naamat checkpoint in Jousieh village and takes over the material and ammunition." (Jusiyah - south of Rablah, which is south of Quseir, it's right on the Lebanon border) Video: "Some of the devastation left by the latest regime bombardment of Jouret Shiyah." "Destruction in Krak des Chevaliers, Homs"

March 27: 8 martyrs in Homs from 104 in Syria. Homs: Qusair: Martyrs and several injured due to shelling by warplanes in the city. The martyrs are: Ghassan Mamdouh Jalout and Mamdouh Muhammad Jalout." Video: Wounded People Due to Shelling and Clashes in Qusair, Homs

VDC regime casualty: Badir Mohammad Mayhob from Tartous, killed 3-27 at Homs: Dabaa Airport (al-Qusayr military airbase is next to a Daba'a)

March 28: "Homs: Qusseir: Badr Amer was martyred during clashes with regime forces at the checkpoint of Nabi Mando." "Homs: Qusseir: the FSA liberated the checkpoint of Tal and kills 80 of the thags and gained control over 2 tanks and agood quantity of guns and munitions, post fierce clashes with regime forces." "Homs: Qusair: Heavy rocket shelling targeting the town." "Homs: Qusseir: Nizar Sattouf, the Leader of Abu Shahd battalion was martyred in the clashes with the regime forces. Martyr is from East Bweida Village." "Homs: Abel: shelling with mortars and tanks targets the village from the checkpoint of Fathet-Sultan and Shenshar rocket battalion." "Homs: Krak des Chevaliers: The Free Syrian Army has attacked the checkpoints surrounding the city and has hit shabiha checkpoints in the loyalist villages amidst violent clashes with the regime forces. Artillery shelling is targeting the city as well." Videos: none relevant.

March 29 (extremely horrible unrelated top image): 16 Homs martyrs out of 150 in Syria. Videos: A horrific massacre in the farms of the village near the International Homs-Damascus Highway was committed against the people of the village. Eight bodies were found slaughtered into shreds with knives and machetes and then burned by Assad gangs and Hezbollah forces who took control of the farmlands. We apologize for the gruesome images. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cr0tdexwOg (already watched, March 29 portion of the Abel massacre) Aerial Raids at Qusseir, Homs . Text: Homs: Abel: 8 martyrs bodies were found after being killed by regime forces, thier bodies were cut with knives and burned in the village farms near by the International Highway, it is known that the district is under regime forces control. - Homs: FSA controls a tank in Homs-Qoser international way near Barghourth checkpoint. - Homs: Qusseir: The FSA destroys 2 tanks at Homs-Qusseir road. - Homs: Qusair: Fierce shelling using rocket launchers targets Josieh village from the checkpoints of Rabla and Nezarieh.

March 30: 114 dead Syrians, 12 in Homs. Videos: Regime forces commited a massacre in Abel, dozens of casualties,8 confirmed martyrs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1ansAYIky - Al Qusair, Homs: Although doctors fought valiantly to save the life of this youth injured in regime bombardment, his injuries were too severe for them to be able to do so and he died. Text: Nothing relevant.

March 31: 178 martyrs ... 34 in Homs. Text: Homs: Tal Kalakh: A new massacre at the hands of regime forces and thugs of 11 martyrs (the first count). The civilians were slaughtered with knives and their bodies were mutilated after regime forces stormed Birj Neighborhood. Homs: Tal Kalakh: Muhammad Awad from Zara, an FSA soldier, was martyred during clashes with regime forces. - Homs: Talkalakh: Mohammad Khader Sibora, 20, was martyred due to a rocket landed in his house and injured 5 other members of his family.

April 1: 146 - 31 Text: Homs: Omm Reish: 8 members of the same family were martyred and the martyrs are: Mohammad Ahmad Al-Awad, Elham (the Mother), Manal Mohammad Al-Awad, Manar Mohammad Al-Awad, Khadija Mohammad Al-Awad, Ahmad Mohammad Al-Awad, Mostafa Mohammad Al-Awad and Mohammad Al-Doukhi were martyred due to MiG warplane shelling in the town. - Homs: Qusair: Mahmoud Aboud Taleb, from Dabaa village, was martyred due to shelling by regime forces. -Homs: Hasan Ali Al-Awad, Futaim Ali Al-Awad, and Siham Al-Sheihan were martyred due to warplane shelling in Jander village. - Homs: 3 martyrs and a number of wounded were reported due to warplane shelling in Jander village.

VDC

The VDC martyr's database has records, which is where I first noted it. This list of 42 names is united by the attached note "A massacre made by the regime`s army in which tens were martyred and their bodies were mutilated, their house also has been burned." Cause of death down the line: field execution. Two entries were apparently given the wrong date, March 21, the rest it says were killed on the 27th. 16 women, 26 men. Names: Shehadeh, Rahal, Sabouh x2, Taleb x5, Bazai-Tweamy names combined: x9 Nassan, Alloush x3 (wife, son, and daughter of Asaad al-Aloush, Ghentawi x3, Ali x2 Akash, Hussein x3. Most are listed as from Baba Amr (a few spellings) and some others noted as dying there. 2 are from "Jouret Arayes" (I can only find Jouret al-Shaya district as a match for this), and six including all Talebs and Mrs. Bakkar are from "East Bweida" (Buweida al-Sharqiya - البويضة الشرقية - "East Egg" but not in a Gatsby sense) south of Homs, near Abel. [4] --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

I checked entry numbers, and they're all apparently a bit behind only. There are entries from as late as April 9 preceding the entry of this batch, so it took about two weeks. The March 21 entries were done at the same time. Any added late that I notice will be noted. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:03, 19 January 2014 (UTC)
Other

Another source is a list I found in Arabic posted early April 3 at We All Arab forum, found searching for Mrs. Bakkour's name and age. Here, she's listed among a total of 58 victims (all they could document so far, they think there were many more). The info is from somewhere else, brought to their sub-forum for "Revolution Levant and the Western alliance against Shiite Brotherhood against - Violation of humanitarian under the funeral of the Arab conscience." (Google translated). Only one other source appears in a Google search - this Facebook post by (translated) "We all pharmaceutical hero martyr Ghassan Maher Khankan," April 2, 8:03 PM Syria time (source "pharma" below). Both also list victims and give details for the Abel massacre and two other incidents on March 29 and 31, one in Talkalakh. Title: Detailed and comprehensive report about the massacres committed by the regime Asadi last week in Homs with documentation of the names of the martyrs. The incident in question (largest among them and listed first) is described so:

Massacre in the neighborhood of Baba Amr: When the income of some displaced people from the neighborhood to inspect the property and found the bodies have been turned into ashes after the treacherous gangs burned homes including the aim of destroying the neighborhood has begun to commit crimes from 27 March 2013 and continues to this day we receive names. But could not photograph the bodies because of the spread of the army and al-Asadi shabeeha in the neighborhood and to prevent people from entering him only a little of them [5] --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

Also, Syrian Shuhada, all dead for March 27, arranged by death area (until I learn how to do better searches) [6] These are all listed as killed by "Gunshot wound." There are no videos on the entries. One at least has this note (from Arabic) "Have been culled on the ground and torturing and burning her body at the hands of regime forces." [7]

Another earlier Facebook post of March 30 by "we all are AL-Bweda AL-Sharqya Martyrs" deals only with some local deaths, of the Talibs in Buweida, including Mrs. Bakkour or Mazhar, and extra Talibs not on even the list of 58. Google Translated, it has a lot of religious rhetoric and adds these few details:

  • الحاج مظهر طالب - Al-Haj Mazhar Talib, (Abu Zeidan) in octogenarian
  • الحاجه شريفة بكار - His mother al-Haj Sharifah Bakkar (or Mazhar) age 98
  • الحاجه نزهه طالب - his wife al-Haj Nazha Talib (or Zidane) in her seventies
  • All three killed in "The massacre in the Baba Amr" along with:
  • Haj Abu Nidal ... Brother
  • Abu Basil .......... Brother
  • Sheikh Zidane .... Son
  • Abdul Wahab ....... Son
  • Muhammad .......... son
  • Abdul Rahman ..... Son
  • Adnan ............. Son
  • Jihad, Yousef, Basil ... nephews.
  • For 13 total. [8]

Victims Table

Victims by Source (incomplete table)
Name VDC [4] w/any info Pharma [5] Arabic w/entry # S.Sh. [9] BSM [8]


Mohiuddin Al-Abdullah Abu Khalifa -AM Muhi El-Deen al-Abdelallah From Jouret Arayes, died in Baba Amr 44 محي الدين العبد الله أبو خليفة - Jurat Arayes ??
Obida al-Akash - AM Obida al-Akash 18 عبيدة العكش - Baba Amr ??
Ali
Ali
Aloush
Aloush
Aloush
Sharifa Bakkar - AF - 98 Sharifa Bakkar Age 98, married, from East Bweida, killed in Baba Amr. 47 شريفة بكار أم مظهر "Bakkar or Mazhar" ?? Sharifah Bakkar (or Mazhar) mother of Mazhar Talib
Hasnah Hameed al-Bazazi - AF Hasnah Hameed al-Bazazi Family Status: Married and has children Hsnh hmyd albzazy
Mosleh Hawas al-Bazazi - AM Mosleh Hawas al-Bazazi Family Status: Married 3 مصلح هواش الحسين
Numa Hawash Hussien al-Bazazi - AF Numa Hawash Hussien al-Bazazi Family Status: Married 2 ة نومة هواش الحسين - wife of Farid Nomh hoash hsyn albzazy Wife Shaheed Farid Barazi (typo)
Faraj Bazazi-Tweami - AM Faraj al-Bazazi al-Tweami ??
Farid Bazazi-Tweami - AM Farid Mohammed al-Bazazi al-Tweami 1 فريد محمد البزازي التويمي Fryd mhmd albzazy
Kafi Saleh Bazazi-Tweami - AM Kafi Saleh al-Bazazi al-Tweami 8 كافي صالح البزازي التويمي Kafy salh albzazy
Rahieleh Sayah Bazazi-Tweami - AF Rahieleh Sayah al-Bazazi al-Tweami Mother's name: Hasna Hmead al-Bazazi al-Tweami 7 رحيلة صياح البزازي التويمي - ابنة حسنة Rhylh syah albzazy
Mohammed Rouhy Ghanoum - AM Mohammed Rouhy Ghanoum badly-cropped photo 10 محمد روحي غنوم أبو مرهف Mhmd rohy ghnom
Taleb Ghanoum - AM Taleb Ghanoum 516 entries after Mohammed 11 طالب غنوم "student gnome" ??
Hasan al-Ghentawi - AM Hasan al-Ghentawi
... Ghentawi - AF Wife of Hasan al-Ghentwai
Khaled al-Ghentawi - AM 60 Khaled al-Ghentawiphoto 26 خالد الغنطاوي أبو عبد الكريم 60 عام Baba Amr ??
Abu Shahoud al-Shiekh Hasan - AM Abu Shahoud al-Shiekh Hasan 31 ابو شحود الشيخ حسن Baba Amr ??? n/a
... Husain - AM Father of Safwat al-Husain 21 الشهيد والد المحامي صفوت الحسين (Safwat is a lawyer) Baba Amr ?? n/a
... Husain - AF Mother of Safwat al-Husain 22 والدة المحامي صفوت الحسين Baba Amr ?? n/a
... Husain - AF Sister of Safwat al-Husain 23 الشهيدة اخت المحامي صفوت الحسين Baba Amr ?? n/a
Mohammed Jmeh 41 محمد جمعة Baba Amr (see "or Abbas Sabbouh" - his mother) n/a
Abu Khaled Khawaja - AM Abu Khaled Khawaja from BA, killed 3-27 n/a
Abu Mohammad al-Nassan - AM Abu Mohammad al-Nassan from Baba Amr, 3-27 n/a
Wife of Abu Mohammad al-Nassan - AF Wife of Abu Mohammad al-Nassan from Baba Amr, 3-27 n/a


Safa al-Rahal - AF Safa al-Rahal صفاء الرحال 20 Baba Amr ??? n/a
Abdel Basset Sabouh - AM n/a
Abdel Halim Sabouh - AM ?? 34 عبد الحليم صبوح Baba Amr ?? n/a
Abdul Hamid Sabouh ?? 35 عبد الحميد صبوح Baba Amr ?? n/a
Abdelqader Omar Sabouh - AM 86 Abdelqader Omar Sabouh Age 86, married, Known as (Abu Abdo). photo, sleeping outside 32 عبد القادر عمر صبوح 86 عام Abdalqadr amr sboh 86, died March 31 n/a
Abdel Nasser Sabouh - AM ?? 36 عبد الناصر صبوح Baba Amr ?? n/a
Abdul Rahman Sabouh n/a
Barya Ibrahim Sabouh - AF 76 Barya Ibrahim Sabouh Married, age 76, Died March 27 - [ photo] 33 برية ابراهيم صبوح (wife of Abdel Qader) age 76 Baba Amr Bryh ebrahym sboh 76, died March 31, "her body was found burned" n/a
Nazah (?) Abdelqader Sabouh - AF 51 ?? 37 نزهة عبد القادر صبوح age 51 Baba Amr Nzhh abdalqadr sboh 51, died March 31
"or Abbas Sabbouh" - AF ?? 40 الشهيدة أم عباس صبوح ( والدة محمد جمعة ) (mother of Mohammed Jmeh) Baba Amr ??
Saed
Soufi
Shihada
Abdulrahim Mezhar Taleb ??? 52 عبد الرحمن مظهر الطالب ??? Abdulrahman (?) son of Mazhar
Abdul-Wahab Taleb Abdul Wahab, son of Mazhar


Abu Basil Taleb - AM Abu Basil, brother of Mazhar
Abu Nidal Taleb - AM ?? 54 أبو نضال الطالب ( أخو مظهر ) Brother of Mazhar ?? Abu Nidal, brother of Mazhar
Adnan al-Taleb - AM ?? ?? ?? Adnan, son of Mazhar
Basel al-Taleb - AM Basel al-Taleb from East Bweida, killed in Baba Amr ?? ?? Basil - nephew of Mazhar
Jihad Taleb Jihad, nephew of Mazhar
Mazhar Al-Taleb (Abu Zaidan) - AM - 80 Muthhar al-Taleb from EB, killed BA, age 80, married w/kids 46 مظهر الطالب أبو زيدان age 80 ?? Mazhar al-Taleb, octogenarian, son of Sharifa Bakkar
Mohammed ?? ?? ?? Son of Mazhar
Nazah (?) Al-Taleb - AF - 70 Nazha Byazeed Abdul Wagab al-Taleb married, age 70, from EB, killed BA, wife of Muthhar al-Taleb, known as (Om Zydan) 48 نزهة الطالب age 70 (wife of Mezhar) ??? Nazha Talib (or Zidane) in her seventies, wife of Mazhar
Nidal Al-Taleb - AM Nedal al-Taleb from EB, killed BA 55 نضال الطالب ??? ???
Yousef al-Taleb - AM Yousef al-Taleb from EB, killed BA 58 يوسف الطالب ??? Yousef, nephew of Mazhar
Zidane al-Taleb - AM Sheikh Zidane, son of Mazhar
Tweame


March 29 Massacre

Southern Homs Suburbs | Abel Village 29-03-2013
A horrific massacre in the farms of the village near the International Homs-Damascus Highway was committed against the people of the village. Eight bodies were found slaughtered into shreds with knives and machetes and then burned by Assad gangs and Hezbollah forces who took control of the farmlands. We apologize for the gruesome images. There is no power except God Almighty.
21+ A Horrific Scene from the Massacre - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cr0tdexwOg
#Homs: A'abel: Massacre +18. The Link:
Warning: 18+, EXTREMELY GRAPHIC images, further evidence of Assad regime crimes against humanity
A'abil, Homs: The horrific charred remains of eight people tortured, killed and dismembered with machetes and knives by Assad's forces before being burnt were found in farmland outside A'abil in southern rural Homs on Friday March 29th.
This was the second such massacre by regime forces and Hezbollah in the A'abil area in a week.
Please do not look at these images if you are of a sensitive disposition. Please do forward them to media and humanitarian organisations. The world should be forced to see what Assad's forces are doing.

(same images, I think) --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:00, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

Abel Crime Scene cropped.png

Initial impression: Between the video and the photos, this is apparently a whole other scene in this area that seems to be rebel held (they're dug in, getting shelled, and receiving medical supplies there, and yet they can't stop the Shabiha ... in time). There's an apparently severed head only half-burnt. In case it's not clear enough, they point to the nice cut and the pile of stack of blocks a few feet away with blood poured down its side into a huge puddle around its base. Another charred victim, gagged and blindfolded, teeth gritted, had a serious throat slice/partial beheading. Another body is missing from the chest down, arms frozen in a peculiar pose. Only three victims thus can be called with certainty, but there are other chunks and lots of it burned together. Likely five or more victims, could be 8, maybe. At least two separated legs, one apparently chewed on by dogs, along with some other scraps. As far as can be told, the three were fighting-age men, so charred foreign fighters would be possible, if they were willing to process their own like this just for black PR operations. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:36, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

At 1:18 it looks a bit like the fire pit is smoldering. The enormous logo on that corner, coincidentally, makes it less clear than it should be. But I think the guilty "Shabiha" had just been here burning their victims, right before the rebels got there, or perhaps even after they got there. --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:10, 21 January 2014 (UTC)
At right, now, a composite view (cropped from a bigger composite view) of the crime scene - dismemberment station with top blocks removed, burn area. sitting block, poking sticks. In the nearer foreground (cropped off here), the human remains themselves laid on a blanket. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:47, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

VDC March 29 Records

all 19 Homs martyrs killed by field execution March 29. Eight are from Abel village, with the notes: "Eight bodies burned and cut into pieces executed by the forces of order after torture, including women and children." All 8 are listed as adult male, unidentified. Further, 10 victims are listed from TalKalakh, well to the west and to be the site of its own massacre two days later. But they had somehow made it to and were killed in "Martyrdom location: Homs : appil village." This seems to refer to Abel in other cases. Notes: "Killed slaughtered in the massacre of 10 people and burned their bodies." That's what's been happening in Abel. But perhaps there's an Appil I don't know closer to Talkalakh?

  1. Unidentified, Abel
  2. Unidentified, Abel
  3. Unidentified, Abel
  4. Unidentified, Abel
  5. Unidentified, Abel
  6. Unidentified, Abel
  7. Unidentified, Abel
  8. Unidentified, Abel
  9. Nabil Murad AM. From TalKalakh. Married. Martyrdom location Homs : appil village
  10. Nabil Murad Wife Child - Female [sic] From TalKalakh. Married.
  11. Nabil Murad son - Child - Female [sic] Notes: with Sepcial Needs
  12. Badria Murad AF Area: TalKalakh, Martyrdom location: appil
  13. Abdel Nasser's Murad daughter Child - Female. Mother's Name: Badria Murad
  14. Sbah Owaid AF
  15. Fatima Kdalm AF, age 37
  16. Khalid Hassan Hanof AM age 25
  17. Ngod al-Khatib AF. Notes: she is known as Om Mohammad and she is Hasan Hannouf's wife who was tortured to death by regime forces at a prison about on year ago
  18. Manoah al-Jubouri AF Married. Notes: Citing slaughtered in a massacre among ten martyrs and burned them bodies
  19. From Alguendakja family AM, from: unspecified, but more likely with the Talkalakh batch by the notes: "Citing slaughtered ... appil" etc.

Total = 8-19 Abel Massacre victims, depending. The note about women and children may refer to the full 19, with the eight chopped up being men, as listed. That may be assessed by looking closer at the day's charred corpses (see below). --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:00, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

March 31 Massacre

As mentioned below, one of the March 25 reports is from a knowledgeable group called Coordinating (Committee?) East al-(Buoida?), Abel, and Mubarakiya. All close areas where whoever was running around in late May. A video posted May 31, shows more civilians executed, but not burnt, in East Buwayda, which is in the south of Homs. Of course, despite free rebel access to film, the regime is responsible. Video: [Syria, E. Al-Buwayda +18 Another Assad massacre, Found more corpses of innocent civilians. 31-5-2012. It shows: Ten victims, un-burnt, all male. Mostly older men, intact, executed. One has a blasted head, but otherwise, cause of death unclear. No beheaded or stabbed bodies shown. Two smaller people seem to be pre-teen boys. Three victims on the left are possible rebel fighters; one suffered a bloody groin injury and destroyed legs - he has a beard, and seems well-fed, like a rebel fighter killed only in battle. Two others near him could be more rebels or not.

No such batch of Buweida martyrs appears at VDC 3-30 or 3-31. Or April 1 or 2. On the third, more Taleb's killed there by "shelling," but that doesn't quite seem a match either. --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:47, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Okay, yeah ... when was anyone going to tell me 5 isn't 3, May isn't March, and 12 isn't 13? No March 31 Abel massacre it seems. This is the right area, but it was ten months earlier and the last to get reviewed was no more than a loud brainfart and makes the easiest update. I will move this at some point. Also, the map will need updated.--Caustic Logic (talk) 10:08, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

Family Names

Aside from the case-by-case tallying of names above, there are some broader patterns that emerge with certain one deserving their own little spots, below.

  • Ghanoum: All VDC Homs Ghanoums, 3-22-3-31. Two men of this name from Baba Amr (as listed) were included in the March 27 big massacre. By VDC records, that was the end of their part in this week of mayhem but not the start. Random warplane shelling had been seeking out Ghanoums in the area over the days prior. On the 25th, a Muafaq Abdulkarim Ghanum from "Qouseir: Hamidia Village" was blown up. This could mean Hamidiya neighborhood on the southwest side of Qusayr, but more likely the separate village of that neame next to "Tall" and the military airport. Whichever, the same place saw a stray shell or whatever kill four Ghanoums at once - three boys, a girl, and no adults. Hmmm... --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:27, 26 January 2014 (UTC)
  • Taleb: VDC list: all Homs Taleb martyrs, March 22-31. Besides the victims of the 27th, hailing from Buweida al-Sharqiya, three were targeted earlier. One (Ahmed, age 63) in the same town by shelling two days earlier, and one al-Taleb per day shot prior to that - both given as FSA non-civilians, from Baba Amr and Dabaa village, by Qusayr military airport. After, there was a bad day on April 3: a womann named Bakkar and two men (one likely the woman's husband) named Taleb, are killed in "shelling" while a rebel Taleb from Daba'a is killed in fighting for the military airport next door. --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:53, 26 January 2014 (UTC)
  • Sabouh: (forthcoming)
  • Melhem: Since there are similarities to the Sultaniya Massacre, including the Sabouh family's inclusion, it seemed worth checking for any Milhems. None quite fit, but this was a deadly week for two rebel (?) Milhems around Hosin Castle, where rebels were also on an offensive. Both described as "FSA" and killed in clashes, one happened to die in Daraya on the 23rd, while the other - looking rather non-militant in death - was apparently killed back at Hosin on the 31st.
  • Awad: Not directly related to the area, but to areas all around it, sharing the same time frame and similar patterns to these others: the Awad family massacre. (forthcoming)

Opposition Reports

AP

Syria War: Baba Amr Neighborhood In Homs In Regime Hands By ALBERT AJI and BASSEM MROUE 03/26/13 04:16 PM ET EDT

The Syrian military's recapture of Baba Amr, in Homs, while not strategically important in the civil war, is a symbolic blow to the rebels. The poor, predominantly Sunni neighborhood emerged early in the uprising as a symbol of the rebel movement, first for its protests and later for the armed groups who held it against the regime onslaught.
The seesaw fight for the Homs neighborhood reflects the back-and-forth nature of Syria's civil war. While rebels appear to be gaining ground, their progress is slow and their fighters remain vulnerable to Assad's military superiority.
In other violence Tuesday, the Observatory said that at least 13 charred bodies, including four children and five women, were found on the outskirts of the village of Abil, southwest of Homs city. It said local activists blamed the killings on pro-government gunmen.
The Syrian government does not respond to requests for comment and did not mention the killing in official media.

Coordination Of Doctors In Homs

https://www.facebook.com/CoordinationOfDoctorsInHoms March 28: "Abel first aid center thanks the coordination of doctors in Homs for sending drugs and medical supplies"

SOHR

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) duly reported this opposition-discovered crime on the SOHR Facebook page: Massacre in the village of Abel, Reef Homs

Homs province: The bodies of 13 civilians (including 5 women and 4 children) were found on the outskirts of the village of Abel, in Reef Homs. The bodies indicate that the victims were burnt and stabbed stabbed to death. Local activists accuse pro-regime gunmen of committing this massacre. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

LCC

Local Coordination Committees: Syria Today 25-3-2013: "27 (martyrs) in Homs, most of them in Abel village … "

Homs: Abel: 18 person were martyred, mostly women and children, after being shoot in one of the village farms registering a new massacre with the name of regime’s forces militias

Yalla Souriya

Whatever source this is drawing on, it's the mother lode compared to the above reports. The details start to appear fascinating. Report about the massacre in Abel Homs 25/3/2013 Abel Farms (main text coming up... hitting save)--Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

The regime’s shabiha attempted to storm Abel village in the suburbs of Homs, and the Free Syrian Army fought them back. As the shabiha were withdrawing from the area, they arrested two entire families of women, children and elderly men from the al-Ahmed and al-Mahmoud families. This took place at the edges of the villages, on the Damascus-Homs International Roadway next to al-Kounafi checkpoint.
The shabiha then filmed the detainees, forcing them to say that it was them who saved the civilians from armed gangs. After they completed filming, the shabiha tortured the civilians in the most brutal of ways. They tied them up and attacked them with knives. Some of them were slaughtered and others were stabbed, and some were beat with a stone on top of their heads. Not a single one survived.
After fatally torturing, the shabiha gathered the victims and slaughtered them using daggers and knives, and then burnt them, women and children included, completely.

The names of the victims:

  1. Qattash al-Mahmoud, age 70
  2. Hawash al-Ahmed, age 65
  3. Nusra al-Mahmoud, age 70
  4. Mahmoud al-Mahmoud, age 45
  5. Khudra al-Ahmed, age 42
  6. Huda al-Mahmoud, age 28
  7. Fouad al-Mahmoud, age 37
  8. Humaida al-Mahmoud, age 36
  9. Ghazeya al-Ahmed, age 35

Children:

10. Ahmed al-Ahmed, age 3

11. Haidar al-Ahmed, age 2

12. Sajeda al-Ahmed, age 1

13. Ahmed al-Mahmoud, age 9

The guard of al-Bouz farm, known as Abu Saeed, was also killed. He is from Hama, and his family, comprising a mother, father, three children and two young women, are missing until now.
Pictures & Videos : (see below, end report) --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:20, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

VDC

14 martyrs from Abel March 25. The Mahmouds are represented, but not so much the Ahmeds. The notes say more than 20 were killed, although the six members of the guard's family, including the guard, are supposed to just be missing/unknown. [10]

Other, Arabic

قامت شبيحة النظام و كلاب حزب اللات بقتلهم بالسكاكين ولم يكتفوا بذلك بل قاموا بأحراقهم بعد قتلهم وقد وجدهم افراد الجيش الحر في المزارع بعد الدخول اليها وسنوافيكم بالاسماء ريسما يتم التعرف عليهم من قبل اقربائهم الله انتقم من هؤلاء الكفرة يارب العالمين

The system Hbihh and Party Lat dogs to kill them - Knives not content with that, but they Bahrachm after killing - The grandfather of military personnel free on farms after accessed - We bring you the names Risma been identified by their relatives - God avenged those infidels, Lord of the Worlds

Same page cites another post (same as Yalla Souriya's) as from Baba Amro News Facebook page - suggesting the link I suspected. Description of themselves:

We are citizen journalists, working as a team to convey the truth about massacres committed by Assad from the heart of events. It is the truth which the world should know about. It is the truth which Assad is trying hard to hide.

They have a before-and-after photo. One of the charred bodies, they're pretty sure, was a large older woman they somehow got a Shabiha photo of, looking very scared of whoever her captors there were (cropped, now added to the front page). How on earth did they get this photo, or know about the alleged Shabiha videos of the captives? Ah yes, after killing the Shabiha, from their phones, etc. Sick. Same image is repeated with the explanation in French, German, etc. It's a big deal for Baba Amro News, a real scoop after five days of no reports, to offset their loss of and flight from that district to just where this happened. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:47, 29 March 2013 (UTC)

Video/Images

I haven't watched yet, but this might be all the same video. The stills and a photo I saw so far seem to confirm vary bad things happened to whoever these people are. Might be some analysis coming. The videos I can link to ATM:

(Yalla Souriya's posting is the same url) --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:57, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

  • Photos at Facebook linked to by Yalla Souriya: #1 - #2 - #3

Video Analysis

I finally watched the video. Both postings are the same thing, 0:56 in length. The scenery does little to set the locale -somewhere with grass. The low sunlight says it's either early morning or near sunset. It's difficult to even tell just how many bodies are shown; some of them are extremely mangled and perhaps hacked up and mixed together in spots. It seems there are between 10 and 15 charred corpses seen here. The burning is also pretty severe in spots - especially the face, generally skeletal, but with many limbs left un-burnt. Some victims have badly damaged head (0:15, 0:32), as the activists say from smashing with rocks, or alternately, from bullet exit wounds. One victim's face and head are left readable, at 0:41 - possibly a woman or older child with semi-long, wispy hair and an apparent throat injury. One piece of remains specially covered could be a distorted baby, or part of an adult. The pained face of a young man, perhaps, can be seen only lightly burnt at 0:46 - on a head apparently separated from the body, and among charred parts of his and/or someone else's body. In short, something really sick happened here, and the Islamist rebels were again the first to discover and film this crime that occurred, again, at a natural fallback point after losing Baba Amr the day before. --Caustic Logic (talk) 06:44, 28 March 2013 (UTC)

References

  1. Timeline photo Baba Amro News, The details of the massacre in Abel today, March 25, 2013
  2. 2.0 2.1 Report about the massacre in Abel Homs 25/3/2013 Abel Farms Yall Souriya, March 25, 2013
  3. All 8 field executed Hama martyrs, March 25, 2013VDC query
  4. 4.0 4.1 All Homs martyrs with the note "A massacre made by the regime`s army..." VDC martyrs Database query, Jan. 18 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Detailed and comprehensive report about the massacres committed by the regime Asadi last week in Homs with documentation of the names of the martyrs. Arabic Facebook post by كلنا الشهيد الصيدلاني البطل غسان ماهر خانكان April 2, 2013, 5:05 PM GMT. Re-posted the next day [at We All Arab forum
  6. Query result Syrian Shuhada martyrs database, accessed Jan. 18, 2014
  7. all dead for March 27 arranged by area of death. Syrian Shuhada database query, January 18, 2013
  8. 8.0 8.1 Facebook post by "we all are AL-Bweda AL-Sharqya Martyrs" March 30, 2013
  9. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SSh_3-27-2013
  10. 14 martyrs from Homs: Abel, March 25, 2013Center for Violations in Syria, martyrs database query, January 26, 2014