Deir Baalba Massacre

The Deir Baalba Masscare of mid-April, 2012, is what may be the largest one to hit that large and hard-fought district of Homs. With details not entirely clear, it seems at least 160 civilians (primarily adult men, but at least 25 children and women) were executed over a few days, placing it high in size among the Homs Massacres.

The violence this came in on began April 2, and stopped almost suddenly on the 12th, with executions from the 7th on, peaking at 50 a day the 9th and 10th. In general, this whole span is fair game for consideration (all these initial details - including civlian classification) are based on records of the Center for Documentation of Violations in Syria.) The VDC's and others' lists show certain families were singled out for several deaths each, including a startling 58 members of an extended Al-Abbas family/name, spread over several decimated sub-families.

Neither side in the conflict seems to have told their full side version of this incident, though both have weighed in. At least an early part of the killings was blamed by the authorities on terrorists - SANA made the first report of a massacre lodged, with images, on the 3rd, while rebels only scooped up a few "shelling victims." Opposition sources blame the regime or "Alawites" for small batches of killings - but mainly violent shelling - all through the ten-day span, usually getting the bodies for video proof. But they only learned afterwards of the worst, reporting a mass grave of 37 civilians, including children and women, found on the 10th. Then another with 38 the next day, then 16 more on the 12th. (see LCC narrative). An alleged survivor - the only one from a mass slaughter of 60 - blames "Shabiha and supporters of the regime," but his story is rather vague, convenient, and suspect.

Thus it appears there was a core massacre on the 9th and 10th, and surrounding violence of interest, perhaps more of it happening earlier than reported. This all managed to be very low-key considering the scale, and all will be considered here.