A new viral video appears to show Syrian rebels killing a group of captured soldiers, spraying them with bullets as they lay on the ground. Human rights groups say the gunmen may have committed a war crime. This video contains graphic content. (Nov. 2)
As shown above, there's a crowd of gunmen in what appears to be a building under construction. They surround a group of captured men on the ground, some on their bellies as if ordered to lie down, others sprawled as if wounded. Some of the captives are in Syrian military uniforms. "These are Assad's dogs," one of the gunmen is heard saying of those cowering on the ground.
The gunmen kick and beat some of the men. One gunman shouts, "Damn you!" The exact number of soldiers in the video is not clear, but there appear to be about 10 of them. Moments later, gunfire erupts for about 35 seconds, screams are heard and the men on the floor are seen shaking and twitching. The spray of bullets kicks up dust from the ground.
The video's title says it shows dead and captive soldiers at the Hmeisho checkpoint. The Observatory said 12 soldiers were killed Thursday at the checkpoint, one of three regime positions near Saraqeb attacked by the rebels in the area that day.
