US ‘horrified’ by video showing war crimes by Syrian militants

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 6, 2013 1:52PM GMT

The US State Department says it is “horrified” by a shocking video showing foreign-backed insurgents committing war crimes.

The Thursday remarks by the State Department follow the release of video footage that shows militants killing seven Syrian soldiers execution style. The video was smuggled out of Syria by a former insurgent who grew disgusted by the killings.

State Department spokeswoman Jan Psaki said Washington condemns summary executions by any party, adding that US authorities were seeking more information about the incident.

The video, which was obtained and published by The New York Times, displays the brutal and ruthless tactics adopted by the al-Qaeda linked Syrian militants.

The grisly video shows the terrified prisoners with their faces pressed to the ground in front of their captors. They were stripped to the waist and their backs were covered with red scars.

In the video, the rebel commander is seen reciting a few sentences in Arabic. Then he fires a bullet into the back of the first prisoner’s head. His gunmen follow suit, promptly killing all the men. The victims' bodies were thrown into a well.

The release of the clip comes a few days after US Secretary of State John Kerry stated in a Senate hearing that there were no al-Qaeda-linked insurgents in Syria. It also comes as the US is seeking support for a military strike against the Syrian government.

US officials told the Associated Press on Thursday that American military trainers are set to train the militants in Jordan in order to help increase their capabilities.

The US and some of its allies want to launch missile strikes on Syria over accusations that the country used chemical weapons against militant groups, an allegation strongly rejected by the Syrian government.

The Syrian government has repeatedly said that the deadly chemical attack was carried out by militants operating inside the country in a bid to draw in a foreign military intervention.

AHT/DT