HOMS, Syria
Twenty-three soldiers who deserted the Syrian army were killed on Thursday by Shabiha – an armed militia group from President Bashar al-Assad’s regime - in Syria's Homs.
According to the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC), Shabihas killed 23 soldiers by cutting their throats because they wanted to leave the Syrian army in the Al-Qabu town of Homs.
SRGC describes the incident as a massacre.
Syria has been gripped by fighting since the regime of Bashar al-Assad launched a violent crackdown in response to anti-government protests in March 2011, triggering a conflict that has spiraled into a civil war.
The UN has stopped updating its death toll for the country because an official count has become too difficult to verify. At least 100,000 deaths were recorded in the last official count in July 2013.
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