Syrian Sunnis flee town after report of murders

AP

BEIRUT Sunni Muslims thousands fled a Syrian coastal town on Saturday, a day after reports circulate that dozens of people, including children, had been killed by pro-Government gunmen in space, said activists.

The violence in the coastal region of Syria underscores the sectarian nature of the two-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and more than 1 million Syrians sent refugees to neighbouring countries.

The Syrian Observatory for human rights, on the basis of Great Britain said about 4,000 people on the flight were from the predominantly Sunni southern parts of the Mediterranean city of Banias amid fear that pro-Government gunmen "could commit a massacre." Israeli officials also confirmed that the country's air force carried out an air raid against Syria, saying that it is a shipment of advanced missiles bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an ally of the Assad regime.

It was the second Israeli strike against Syria this year and the latest salvo in its attempt to disrupt Hezbollah of the long-running quest to build an arsenal can defend against Israeli air force and the spread of destruction in the Jewish State.

There were conflicting reports about the death toll in Banias on Friday.

The Observatory said at least 62 people, including 14 children, were killed in Ras Al Nabeh, a neighborhood in Banias, but that the number could rise, as many people are still missing. The local coordination committees, another activist group, said 102 people were killed.

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