Shabiha militiamen, tools of the Syria regime
- Published: 11 Jun 2012 at 00.48
- Online news: World
Accused of the most barbaric massacres since the start of the revolt in Syria, the shabiha are feared militiamen and tools of a regime seeking to dissociate itself from atrocities, experts and activists say.
Onlookers gather at the scene of an explosion that targeted a military bus near Qudssaya, a neighbourhood of the Syrian capital, on June 8. Accused of the most barbaric massacres since the start of the revolt in Syria, the shabiha are feared militiamen and tools of a regime seeking to dissociate itself from atrocities, experts and activists say.
While there is no hard evidence of the involvement of these gunmen in the repression, United Nations officials have expressed "strong suspicions" about their role, notably in the Houla massacre that left 108 dead on May 25 and 26.
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