Satellite images obtained by the BBC show clearly the location of Syrian
military forces around the site of last week's massacre at Houla where
108 civilians died, including 49 children.
'Teaching a lesson'
The first image shows the general area of Homs province around the village of Houla and the lake to the south.
Locations A and B are the 2 villages, Al-Sharqliyah and Foulah, from where local eyewitnesses report that pro-government militia, known as the shabiha, set off on Friday afternoon.
The shabiha are described as armed paramilitary thugs drawn from criminal gangs and with no official position in the military command structure. They have been widely blamed for committing the bulk of the killings at Houla. The government says "armed terrorist gangs" are to blame.
Locations C - shown in close-up to the right of the main image - and D are the Sunni suburbs of the town of Taldou that were attacked from Friday afternoon by shellfire, followed up by shabiha on the ground.
'Teaching a lesson'
The first image shows the general area of Homs province around the village of Houla and the lake to the south.
Locations A and B are the 2 villages, Al-Sharqliyah and Foulah, from where local eyewitnesses report that pro-government militia, known as the shabiha, set off on Friday afternoon.
The shabiha are described as armed paramilitary thugs drawn from criminal gangs and with no official position in the military command structure. They have been widely blamed for committing the bulk of the killings at Houla. The government says "armed terrorist gangs" are to blame.
Locations C - shown in close-up to the right of the main image - and D are the Sunni suburbs of the town of Taldou that were attacked from Friday afternoon by shellfire, followed up by shabiha on the ground.
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