Talk:Latakia Massacres

Rebel attack in Latakia

 * Moved from Talk:Tal Abyad massacre

This seems to be somehow related to the events.
 * Syrian rebels push advance into Assad heartland – F. Najia, 6 August 2013
 * Syrian rebels are pushing toward President Bashar al-Assad's hometown of Qardaha in Latakia province.
 * By Monday, the second day of their surprise offensive in the heartland of Assad's minority Alawite-cum-Shiite sect, the rebels had captured some 11 Alawite villages.
 * The villages include Aramo, 20 kilometers from Qardaha, and Baruda, where the rebels seized visiting Alawite cleric Badreddin Ghazal, a diehard Assad militant.
 * You can see above a photo of Sheikh Ghazal in military fatigue standing alongside Mihraç Ural aka Ali al-Kayyali, the man I dubbed in May “the ethnic cleanser of Banias,” who was also suspected of masterminding the twin Turkish bombings in Reyhanli.

This Facebook post gives a long list of victims (71 killed + 32 kidnapped people):
 * Names of the victims of the massacres which wiped out entire families, committed by #Al_Nusra_Front backed by hundreds of terrorists from ( ‪#‎Baghdad_and_Al_Sham_Islamic_State_Army‬ ) terrorist group against the civillians in 8 villages in the countryside north-eastern city of ‪#‎Latakia‬ and ‪#‎Slenfeh‬.
 * This happened at the dawn of Sunday 4/8/2013:
 * Victims names in village "‪#‎Nabata‬": (13 names)
 * Names of kidnapped people from village "#Nabata": (23 names)
 * Victims names in village "‪#‎Alhmbushiah‬" mostly children: (25 names)
 * Names of kidnapped people from village "#Alhmbushiah" by Al-Nusra Front: (9 names)
 * Victims names in village "‪#‎AlBalouta‬", Where entire families were wiped out: (18 names)
 * Names of the kidnapped people from this village are not known yet.
 * Victims names in village "‪#‎Bermseh‬" (4 names + 8 children)
 * Names of the kidnapped people from this village are not known yet.
 * Victims names in village of "‪#‎Abu_Mecki‬": (3 names)
 * I could not document more information about the fate of this village.
 * Village "‪#‎Aubin‬" was burned by the terrorists and we don't know anything about the civilians fate there, yet.
 * Village "‪#‎Esterbeh‬" close to ‪#‎Salma‬. the civilians escaped but the terrorists occupied the village.

What "connects" the events is this article by Voice of Russia:
 * Syrian rebels have stepped over the red line – 6 August
 * Mass killings of hostages by militants in the Syrian opposition have become their main method of tactical actions in the civil war in Syria.
 * The worst reports came in recent days of the north-east Syria, from the Kurdish areas. About 450 hostages have been killed there. About 120 of them were children, the others were women and the elderly. The hostages were family members of the Kurdish militia, which is leading a fierce battle with the extremists. But terrorist units surrounded the Kurdish areas to the north of Aleppo. About a million people were under siege.

The Swedish language version (and Hungarian) of the story names Alawites as the victims and Badreddin Gazzal as one of the kidnapped:
 * The Islamists' method in Syria resembles increasingly religious and ethnic cleansing. According to Arab TV channels, soldiers from Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State has about 400 Alawites hostage in the country's northern regions. Women, children and old people have been in the direction of the Turkish border. 80-year-old Badreddin Gazzal, one of the spiritual leaders of Alawites is also among them.

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 01:55, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

Najm al-Din Azad and his Photos
Najm al-Din/Alden Azad ("نجم الدين آزاد" in Arabic) is new to us. On his Twitter account, he's been posting - then removing - pictures of slaughtered infidels in Latakia, apparently claiming to be involved, and sharing photos of his days fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where he lost half his right leg. He's a character. A few articles:--Caustic Logic (talk) 11:54, 11 August 2013 (UTC) and --Caustic Logic (talk) 03:04, 12 August 2013 (UTC)
 * http://www.southlebanon.org/?p=82188
 * https://www.facebook.com/coastsy.news/posts/481033878651109 here, he's an "Afghan called "Najm al-Din Azad." Possibly tagged by photos of Afghanistan-when it's the tourists, not the natives, most likely to be snapping pictures. Back at it again. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:54, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
 * http://sabinachiaburu.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/syrian-civilians-in-lattakya-killed-by-the-freedom-fighters-of-saudi-arabia-in-syria/ "according to Asia news agency that revealed his real name to be as Adel Al-Outaybi."
 * Saudi Arabia and the new schemes in Syria and Lebanon (1/2) Aug. 11, Arabic. Google translated excerpt:
 * Afeta has had a number of tapes and photographs published on the social networking sites, which show the horrible and barbaric what the terrorists are doing today in this region, which is not a military objective worth of the attack. Perhaps the last of these tapes is published by the terrorist Saudi famous "Najm al-Din Azad", one of the first generation of Afghan Arabs, on his account in Twitter of pictures of some civilians in the villages of rural Latakia, who boasted that he oversaw the slaughter himself, according to the news agency Asia on 9 -8-2013.


 * The real name for "Najm al-Din Azad" is "Adel Al-Otaibi," income was about two months ago to the Syrian territory and fighting within the battalion "Ezz hawks" which is considered a cornerstone of the most egregious criminal battalions in the Syrian coast. The pictures showed (disgusting) presented by Azad on his Twitter account, has been mostly civilians to be slaughtered with a knife from their necks, in one of the villages that have occurred over the past few days clashes. 

Adel Al-Outaybi, per the last two sources (citing an original source we haven't located yet) is probably related to Juhayman al-Uteybi, a colorful characeter (blacked-out) from Saudi Arabian history, who was beheaded just as the pipleline of malcontents - including other Utaybis - was turned away from inward, and onto commie invaders half a world away in Afghanistan. Back at it again. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:54, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Also, Uteybi is an Ikhwan tribe, known 100 years ago for slicing open pregnant women, as one report says happened in Latakia (and prev. in al-Bayda...) FWIW. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:54, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Photos Discussion
Great adds, all packaged up, thanks for that. The dude is a person of interest. I haven't examined these yet, but I will. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:58, 9 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Where are the photos? --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:01, 10 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Ah, got disoriented. Things were moved. Getting re-oriented, will see if I like. Talk page, talking. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:03, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

I was just getting ready to do some analysis on these, checked the original source, and they're gone. Someone suggested it might be helpful if the "freedom fighters" aren't showing half-decpitated soldiers and executed civilians. Luckily all (?) have been saved around at different resolutions. We have most but not all up here in the best resolution available (thanks, Petri). More later... --Caustic Logic (talk) 03:04, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

For Mother Syria
An August 7 Facebook post by the pro-government "For Mother Syria" contains an advanced summary of the killings so far, published in English, with "Names of the victims of the massacres which wiped out entire families, committed by #Al_Nusra_Front backed by hundreds of terrorists from (#Baghdad_and_Al_Sham_Islamic_State_Army ) terrorist group against the civillians in 8 villages in the countryside north-eastern city of #Latakia and #Slenfeh. This happened at the dawn of Sunday 4/8/2013" The list they share is as follows, I counted 104 entries: --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:00, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Sorry, was a bit slow to get the format here. For each town is listed people killed, then people abducted (fates very threatened), except where that's unknown. So 104 refers to know names in both categories. As noted, quite incomplete so far. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:05, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

Victims names in village "#Nabata": (block listings hereafter?) --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:22, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
 * 1) - Hafez Mehrez Shehadeh, 80 years old.
 * 2) - Kamal Mohammed Shehadeh and his wife and their three children:
 * 3) Rend a 11-year-old girl.
 * 4) Nasr 9 years.
 * 5) Mohammed 7 years.
 * 6) - Jafar alSheikh .... a child of 4 years,he was scared so he asked for water to drink ..., a bearded man stabbed him to death.
 * 7) - Yassin Najdat Shehadeh.
 * 8) - Jaudat Shehadeh.
 * 9) - Emad El Sheikh.
 * 10) - Tamadur Salim Shehadeh,17 years old.
 * 11) -Khitam Adeeb Shehadeh.
 * 12) - Ibrahim AlSheikh.

Names of kidnapped people from village "#Nabata": 1 - Hajja Sheikh Ibrahim (Hafiz Shehadeh's wife). 2- Fahima Mohamed Osman. 3- Ramza al Sheikh and (4)her daughter Tayma. 5- Child: Amer Ghassan Yahya 6- Ahmed Shehadeh and (7) his wife Shaza Hattab and (8) their little baby :9 months old. 9- Ali Hattab 10- Kazem Mehrez Shehadeh and (11) his wife Dyaa Sweid and their three children: (12)Ola - (13)Haider - (14) Zain: one year old. 15- Mona Fatima (Kidnapped After they slaughtered her husband) 17- Samara alSheikh. 18- Lotus alSheikh. 19- Marah alSheikh. 20- Anaam alSheikh, 13 years old. 21- Bashar al-Sheikh,11 years old. 22- Ahmed Alhiekh. 23- Aktham AlSheikh.

Victims names in village "#Alhmbushiah" mostly children: 1- Hani Shakouhi. 2- Hamza Maryam. 3-Tahir Maryam. 4- Munther Darwish. 5- Hala: Munther Darwish' wife, she was pregnant, the terrorists cut her stomach after killing her and grabbed the baby out and threw him away. 6- Ayman Maryam (a little boy). 7- Lina Qadera (a little girl). 8- Ahmad Maryam (a little boy). 9- Refaat Maryam. 10-Dalaa Maryam (a little girl). 11-Marah Maryam (a little girl). 12-Farah Maryam (a little girl). 13- Mohammad Maryam (a little boy). 14- Jaafar Ismail (a little boy). 15- Wesal Tamer. 16- Taim Shakouhi (one year old boy). 17- Tamer Shakouhi (3 years old boy). 18- Lamia Shehadeh and all of her children. 19- Intesar Maryam. 20- Asrar Maryam. 21- Narjes Maryam. 22- Wahieb Maryam. 23- Nazier Arifu. 24- Adel Maryam. 25- Wael Maryam.

Names of kidnapped people from village "#Alhmbushiah" by Al-Nusra Front: 1- Fadel Shakouhi. 2- Wazifa Shakouhi. 3- Kenanah Shakouhi. 4- Afief Shakouhi. 5- Moustafa Shakouhi. 6- Faten Maryam. 7- Wedad Maryam. 8- Elien Maryam. 9- Doaa Maryam.

Victims names in village "#AlBalouta" ,Where entire families were wiped out : 1- Azab Salim. 2-Taim Salim (1 year old). 3- Sameir Salim. 4- Haider Salim. 5- Wafik Ibrahim and his 3 children: 6- Shadi Ibrahim. 7- Meqdad Ibrahim. 8- Ghaidaq Ibrahim. 9- Nihad Deip. 10- Fawzia Deip. 11- Ghadir Deip. 12- Amjad Deip. 13- Ziena Deip 14- Ziad Deip (1 year old). 15- Hussein Ibrahim. 16- Mariam Ibrahim. 17- Zahra Ibrahim. 18- Ismail Ibrahim.

Names of the kidnapped people from this village are not known yet.

Victims names in village "#Bermseh" 1- Solaiman Fatima and (2) his wife Samira Ghanem. 3- Mohamed Fatima and (4)his wife Fekriah Yassin. 5- Nadi Fatima, and (6) his wife and (7) (8) their two sons. 9- Basem Fatima and (10) his wife and (11)(12)(13) their 3 children.

Names of the kidnapped people from this village are not known yet.

Victims names in village of "#Abu_Mecki": 1- Asaad Solaiman Qadra. 2- Mohamed Kamel Qadra. 3- Faeqa Haidar, a school teacher.

I could not document more information about the fate of this village.

Village "#Aubin" was burned by the terrorists and we don't know anything about the civilians fate there, yet.

Village "#Esterbeh" close to #Salma. the civilians escaped but the terrorists occupied the village.

These information are documented but it's not the final and complete report.

Locations
There are a lot of locations involved in these events. It might be worth the sorting of various town name translations, locations, reports and details, videos from, etc. Each town should have a sub-heading. I'll start it now. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:01, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Sources above and below plus this will form the initial core: Al-Mayadeen, Aug. 6: "The Syrian army said Monday it repulsed the attacks and has cleared some of the villages where the opposition entered, confirmed the sites belonging to the opposition control of the villages...'' 10 areas listed:

استربة (Esterbeh) - وبومكة (Bomkh) - وبيت الشكوحي (Beit Alchukouha) - وبلوطة، -(wblwth?) - وبارودة ( wbarwdh? ) - وعرامة ( Arama ) - ودرج نباتا  ( "a plant tray" = wdrj nbata = An-Nabata?) - ودرج تلا ( Tray Tala = wdrj tla  ) - والحمبوشي (Alhmbusha) - وجبل دورين (Mount Doreen) --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:01, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

And Wikimapia entries collected first they tend to appear in a tight area, center-south-center of Jabal al-Akhrad (area). Nearest crossing to Turkey, about 10 miles due north. Areas I can find easily: Salma - Durin - Talla - others in the same area: Balluta, Ubin (Aubin), Isterba, so far. Anyway, that's the area to check. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:37, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Here is the map I just wrapped up. The dots are the towns, likely a bit mixed up, really, but partly classed by massacres reported (red) vs. rebel conquest, fighting, not sure if massacre or not, etc. (orange). (better area map later) Labels are changing as I work, in the last few days. The boundary of Jabal al-Akrad changed, for one. The big outline here is what is said the other day. Now the edge is way north, so the action is almost entirely just south of the place. Salma, just within and to the north, is something of a rebel hotbed, I hear, a possible launch point. Note the Turkish border not 15 km from the area. I can hardly imagine the heavy weapons and Saudi/multinational fighters could have just hung out long in Salma. Could they have penetrated the barrier, overrun a post, and swung down there in one 40-minute surge? Anyway, as inexact as the red and orange dots are, the pattern is probably relevant. They apparently came in from the northwest, took firm control in the middle/first hit area, where the massacres happened: Alhmbushiah, an-Nabata, Balouta, etc. From there, they pushed in all directions, encountering vacated cities with no one to massacre, and resistance. Thoughts? --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:33, 16 August 2013 (UTC)


 * The SyrPer guy who has been (unsurprisingly) very tight-lipped about this whole thing has just posted a map he says shows the current frontline of the "counter-offensive". As we see the area to the north-east towards Idlib is also in "rebel" hands so they didn't have to come across the border for that operation. --CE (talk) 18:41, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

Towns in detail (order: as I/we get to it, maybe to be re-arranged later) --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:05, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

An-Nabata

 * Name: انباتة = Anpath (Google Translate, spelled) = Anabata (app. sound pronounced by GT) = An-Nabata/Nabata - aka? ودرج نباتا = "a plant tray" = wdrj nbata (romanized)
 * Location: Wikimapia
 * Video: Moment storming estate An-Nabata Nusayris village Latakia hell Alawites (August 6)
 * Reports: "For Mother Syria" reported at least 13 dead (five children), 23 people kidnapped.

Tala

 * Name:  تلا  = Tala
 * Location: Tala

Mount Doreen

 * Name: وجبل دورين = Mount Doreen
 * Location: Durin? The biggest town in the area aside from Salma, just across the way. I thought maybe there's a Doreen/Durin town and a mountain on the same name but maybe not. --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:02, 13 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Video: First Brigade storming Mount Doreen battles in Latakia very very cool 7:10, August 7. Dead soldiers near the end - one cleanly executed, the other messed up somehow, perhaps partly burned across the torso. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:05, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Aramo

 * Name: وعرامة = Arama = Aramo
 * Location: Aramo
 * Video: Latakia throw phosphorous bombs on Esterbeh and Aramo Aug. 6 - Free Army declares control of the village Aramo in Lattakia, Aug 7

Aubin

 * Location: Ubin on Wikimapia
 * Reports: "Village "#Aubin" was burned by the terrorists and we don't know anything about the civilians fate there, yet."

Khirbet Baz

 * Location: Khirbet al-Baz
 * Reports: SOHR Aug. 6: "Clashes took place in Jabal al-Akrad, reports that rebels took over the village of Khirbet Baz."

Beit Alchukouha

 * Note: وبيت الشكوحي = Beit Alchukouha
 * Location: ?

Beit Shakuhi

 * Reports: SOHR Aug 5: "Regime forces regained control of the Beit al-Shekuhi village after violent clashes with rebels."
 * Location:Bayt-Shakuhi

Alhmbushiah
Video: Urgent Alhmbushah village side of the extermination of Alawites in the countryside of Lattakia, Posted Aug 6, 0:15. Two executed men, civilian dress, apparently sectarian motives.
 * Name: والحمبوشي = Alhmbusha
 * Location: Hambushiyah
 * Reports: "Victims names in village "#Alhmbushiah" mostly children (25 names, 9 kidnapped)"
 * Al-Qaeda logo on video, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's picture placed on one of the bodies. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 03:27, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Videos
This video might be related: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 21:37, 10 August 2013 (UTC)
 * El Nusra Terör Örgütünün, Alevi vatandaşa yaptığı işkence +18 (Al-Nusra Terrorist Organization, Alevi citizens inflicted on +18) – Aug 7, 2013, moryakup
 * Abuse, check. Location, not. Below, the opposite

Useful stuff might be found on the Youtube account Salma Media Center. Al-Jazeera reports with worry that Deaths reported in raids in Syria's Latakia. Not too much of use pops up when rebels aren't blaming Assad for the massacres. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:03, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

A better search with Arabic terms yields some videos worth chewing over, with partial translation and notes:--Caustic Logic (talk) 06:20, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
 * عاجل قرية الحمبوشية جانب من إبادة العلويين في ريف اللاذقية (Urgent Alhmbushah village side of the extermination of Alawites in the countryside of Lattakia) Posted Aug 6, 0:15. Two executed men, civilian dress - one has a messed up face, left side (dragged face-down?) and what looks like a sliced throat (here, after any dragging, over that pool of blood?). The other, less clear, made to hold a picture of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah as the liberators curse the victims' foul allegiance that surely underpinned their cruel murders. IF not misattributed... --Caustic Logic (talk) 06:20, 11 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Free Army declares control of the village Aramo in Lattakia Aug 7, 0:54: Al-Aan shares footage of a rebel tank driving around.


 * ريف اللاذقية نسف قمة النبي شعيب بالدبابة (Lattakia Countryside blow up the Prophet Shoaib بالدبابة the summit) Aug 6, 1:43. بالدبابة=baldbabh romanized.


 * 8 6 2013 اللاذقية القاء قنابل فسفورية على استربة وعرامو (Latakia throw phosphorous bombs on استربة and Aramo 6 8 2013) 1:39 Aug 6. استربة  = Issatataba? romanized astrbh = Village "#Esterbeh" close to #Salma. the civilians escaped but the terrorists occupied the village."


 * لحظة اقتحام ضيعة انباتة النصيرية بريف اللاذقية جحيم العلوية (Moment storming estate Anpath ( انباتة ) Nusayris village Latakia hell Alawites) Aug 6, 1:22 ( انباتة = Anabata = An-Nabata with the 13 dead and 23 at least kidnapped)


 * عملية اقتحام قرية استربة النصيرية في ريف اللاذقية مع الغنائم - جحيم العلوية (The storming the village استربة Nusayris in Lattakia countryside with booty - hell upper (Alawite)) Aug 6, 12:39. استربة again = Esterbeh


 * اللاذقية السيطرة على محارس الجيش بمرصد استربة 5 8 2013 (Latakia control on Mhars army Observatory استربة ) Aug. 6, 1:56


 * اللاذقية كتائب الثوار تدخل خراطة بعد تحريرها من عصابات الأسد (Latakia rebels Brigades Turning intervention after its liberation from Assad's gangs) 3:28 Aug 9. happy and well-armed rebels enjoying supremacy, some town in the mountains with nice streets and great views.


 * 2013 8 4 اللاذقية - استربة - استخدام صاروخ كونكورس لضرب دبابات النظام (Latakia - استربة - use Concourse missile to hit the tank system 482 013 ) 1:21. firing something from a high slope


 * جبهة الأصالة والتنمية || اللواء الأول معارك إقتحام جبل دورين في اللاذقية رائع جدا جدا...** (Front originality and Development | | First Brigade storming Mount Doreen battles in Latakia very very cool ... **) 7:10, August 7. Dead soldiers near the end - one cleanly executed, the other messed up somehow, perhaps partly burned across the torso.

More sources...
Syrian Perspective provides some details on Facebook: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:44, 17 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Local villagers claimed that a few dozen men in camouflage were leaving Aramo where the fighting was taking place and heading to a local village. The villagers believed the men to be Syrian Arab Army soldiers (one of the perpetrators was later identified as an army deserter fighting with Jabhat al-Nusra), so the militias were not notified from nearby villages. These men began pointing their guns at the villagers in the streets and firing with no sense of remorse. They would fire on businesses and markets. Local schools were not granted mercy, as the rebels fired upon the local grammar school that little children were attending.