Syrian troops kill 7 civilians in village raid

Syrian troops backed by tanks shot dead seven civilians when they overran a rebellious Sunni Muslim village west of the city of Hama yesterday, activists’ organisations said, in a crackdown on the rural epicentre of the 14-month anti-government revolt.

In neighbouring Lebanon, three people were killed when fighting erupted in the city of Tripoli between members of the Alawite minority loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and members of the Sunni majority.

In the Syrian countryside, at least 27 people were also wounded and scores of houses were burnt in the village of Tamanaa in al-Ghab, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, an opposition activists’ group, said.

“The village was subjected to collective punishment. Over half of its houses were burnt. Several people were executed when they were arrested. The rest were killed from bombardment,” a statement from the organisation said. It said four women were among those killed.