Al-Qubeir Massacre | 7 June 2012
The Syrian regime’s security forces and Shabeehas, pro-regime militias affiliated to security forces, have perpetrated a horrific massacre in Mazra’at Al-Qubeir. Al-Qubeir is 20 km to the west of Hama city, and 2 km to the south of Ma’arzaf. Seventy-eight victims are documented, including women and children. Tanks leveled half of the houses, almost to complete destruction, and it is visible from afar by any visitor.
Some of SHNR & DCHRS members have met activists in the area, victims’ relatives and survivors from the massacre. The UN and international investigations committees are in contact with them. They all affirmed that the Syrian regime’s army raided many villages in western Rural Hama on Wednesday 06-06-2012. The Syrian regime cut off all means of communications, internet, power, and water in the area so that they could perpetrate the massacre in silence.
The area was completely besieged by tanks and checkpoints, which explains the delay in reporting and documentation of the massacre and the victims. The regime’s army forces raided the village of Jreijis and burned down many houses there. Then they raided the village of Ma’arzaf and assaulted the locals. Around 01:00 pm, the regime’s army tanks started shelling the village of al-Qubeir. Then they raided it with buses full of Shabeehas, militias who come from the village of Aseelah and other villages loyal to the regime.
The regime forces and Shabeehas opened fire randomly on the residents of the village of Mazra’at al-Qubeir, including men, women and children. They led men outside the houses and slaughtered many of them with knives. They also burned more than 21 bodies to obscure evidence of the crime. They abducted 37 bodies so that the international observers cannot see them and draw attention.
It is worth mentioning that the village of al-Qubeir is administratively affiliated to the town of Ma’arzaf with is affiliated to Mhardeh region. The village consists of about 20 houses, and most of the residents are relatives from the same family. Relatives of the victims confirmed 60 names. Most of the victims are from one family, including 10 women and 9 children. Search for survivors, and attempts to confirm the names of the rest of the victims, is still ongoing, but the area is still fully besieged amid communications blackout and power cut.
**WARNING: THE VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES**
The video shows some of the victims of the massacre, including young children and women.
Survivor Story
The video below is an interview conducted by an activist with a mother who lost her children and relatives to the Al-Qubeir massacre in Hama. She survived the massacre and is now telling her story; international observers and Arab investigation committees are in contact with her. In the video she affirms that the Syrian regime’s army, in cooperation with security forces Shabeehas, have perpetrated this massacre which is a crime against humanity.
Syrian Network for Human Rights calls on the international community to take urgent and immediate measures to place pressure on the Syrian regime to grant international investigations committees access to examine the circumstances of the massacre. The Syrian regime is obscuring evidence of the massacre by burning some bodies and abducting others. This explains why the country has not given access to international observers to see the site of the massacre until now.
Summary of the testimony given by this mother:
There were about 25 families in this village. When the regime’s forces and shabeehas came, we were inside our houses. They opened machinegun fire, blew up and shelled houses with residents inside. Moreover, they stabbed and slaughtered children by knives and choppers. Then they burned them. People say that shabeehas came from the neighbouring villages of Aseeleh, Twaini and Tal Skeen. They came by 3 buses and a tank. Only 5 or 6 people, including 3 men and 2 women, have survived the massacre. They slaughtered my children by knives. The message I want to send to the world is that the regime’s army and militias have slaughtered our men and children, and may God help us.
Videos and Story Courtesy of:
Syrian Network for Human Rights – Report on the Massacre of Mazra’at Al-Qubeir – 11 June 2012