Zara Massacre, May 12, 2016

Zara(Arabic: الزارا ) is a small, Alawi-majority (Alawite) village of about 800 inhabitants in southern Hama province, on the shore of lake Rastan (Here on Wikimapia). It was attacked by Islamist rebels of Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar Al-Sham, and allies, reportedly in violation of a cease-fire agreement, early on May 12, 2016. Reports from both sides confirm many citizens were executed. Around 100 others, including mainly women and children, were missing, most apparently taken prisoner, shipped across the lake towards rebel-held Rastan.

Reactions

 * Syria: Pres TV reports The Syrian prime minister, Wael al-Halqi, "has sharply condemned the “heinous” massacre of civilians by Takfiri terrorists in a town in the west-central province of Hama, urging global support for Damascus’ fight against terror."
 * France: Sputnik: "Gerard Bapt, a member of the French Socialist Party and president of the France-Syria Friendship Group in the National Assembly, told Sputnik he condemns the recent terrorist attack against the Syrian village of Al-Zara." No official condemnation from France or allied nations.
 * United States: RT reports: "The US State Department admitted that the incidents during the capture of Zara were “unacceptable and incomprehensible” but refused to pin the blame on Ahrar al-Sham or clearly condemn the group’s cooperation with Al-Nusra." (see also: State Department daily briefing, May 13, 2016)
 * Number two, Ashar al-Islam [sic] is not, as you pointed out, not a designated foreign terrorist organization and therefore is a party to the cessation. And our expectation of them is the same expectation we have for everybody else who is a party to the cessation, that they will observe it, that they will abide by it. So we’re going to look into this and we’re going to see what we know about it. And based on the facts, then we’ll deal with it. But we expect all parties to the cessation to abide by it and we have repeatedly said that. That’s why we’re got the task force stood up. That’s why we’ve plussed up the resources. That’s why we’ve intensified the effort to be able to better monitor the violence in Syria. But this is – obviously, these are very troubling, disturbing reports that we’re taking very, very seriously.


 * Russia: RIA (report and photos), 16.05.2016, blames 'Al-Nusra and allied gangs/militants  (бандформирования-Russ.)', and continues that 'al-Nusra, Ahrar Al-Sham, Jaish al-Islam posted photos on social media, and only on that basis the number of killed children, elderly, and women is over 50'. Some photos, video is in Rusvesna report, quoting RIA.