Video of U.N. observers entering massacre site in Mazrat al-Qubeir

A team of U.N. monitors visited the largely abandoned central Syrian village of Mazraat al-Qubeir today to begin an investigation into the alleged massacre of more than 78 Syrian civilians by pro-government militias. The mission has reached no firm conclusion on the perpetrators, but a video that surfaced today showed a set of burned-out and ...

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A team of U.N. monitors visited the largely abandoned central Syrian village of Mazraat al-Qubeir today to begin an investigation into the alleged massacre of more than 78 Syrian civilians by pro-government militias.

A team of U.N. monitors visited the largely abandoned central Syrian village of Mazraat al-Qubeir today to begin an investigation into the alleged massacre of more than 78 Syrian civilians by pro-government militias.

The mission has reached no firm conclusion on the perpetrators, but a video that surfaced today showed a set of burned-out and bombed buildings, suggesting that the town had been shelled by Syrian authorities. U.N. officials said that al-Qubeir bore fresh evidence of tracks by military vehicles, and carried the overwhelming odor of burned flesh.

The videos also point to evidence of a horrific bloodbath, with images of blood splattered over the wall of a local home. "The only clues to where the bodies of the people may have gone are etched in the road. UN said there were tracks made by military vehicles," BBC reporter Paul Danahar, who accompanied the monitors, tweeted. "Whoever did this may have acted with mindless violence but  attempts to cover up the details of the atrocities are calculated & clear."

Colum Lynch was a staff writer at Foreign Policy between 2010 and 2022. Twitter: @columlynch

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