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Syria says UN should condemn massacre in Hatlah village

Iran Press TV

Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:30AM GMT

Syria has called on the United Nations to condemn the slaughter of 60 Shia Muslims in the eastern village of Hatlah by foreign-backed Takfiri militants.

In letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council, the Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the world body to “assume its responsibilities, in light of its relevant resolutions of counter-terrorism, to condemn the massacre in Hatlah village,” Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

On June 11, Takfiri militants attacked Hatlah in the eastern governorate of Deir al-Zour, killing 60 Shia residents, mostly women and children. Nearly a dozen militants were also killed as a group of local residents took up arms to defend their village.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry further said, “The terrorists also looted, burglarized the citizens’ properties, burned their houses and attacked and sabotaged the worship places.”

The letters also reiterated warnings by the Syrian government against the expansion of terrorism and extremism in case the UN fails to take proper measures against such barbaric acts instigated by the Takfiri armed groups, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front terrorist group and its allies, including the so-called Free Syrian Army.

“Syria stresses that when a number of states refused to condemn such crimes, they would encourage the terrorist groups to go ahead in their crimes which target the innocent citizens through committing massacres, random shelling on civilian regions,” the letters stated.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also slammed a recent decision by the European Union, backed by France and the UK, to lift an arms embargo on the militants. Damascus warned against the dangers of supporting the extremist groups.

Foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria, which broke out in March 2011, has claimed the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.

The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies, particularly Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, support terrorism in Syria through funding, arming and reinforcing the extremist militants operating inside the country.

MKA/HSN