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| Syria army seizes Jdiadet al-Fadl 'killing dozens' | Syria army seizes Jdiadet al-Fadl 'killing dozens' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Syrian government troops have seized a town west of Damascus, killing at least 80 people, including women and children, opposition activists say. | Syrian government troops have seized a town west of Damascus, killing at least 80 people, including women and children, opposition activists say. |
| The army stormed the town of Jdiadet al-Fadl after five days of heavy fighting, they report. | The army stormed the town of Jdiadet al-Fadl after five days of heavy fighting, they report. |
| Syria's Sana state news agency said government forces "inflicted heavy losses upon terrorists" in the town. | Syria's Sana state news agency said government forces "inflicted heavy losses upon terrorists" in the town. |
| At least 70,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. | At least 70,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. |
| 'Summarily executed' | 'Summarily executed' |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based activist group, said it was able to identify at least 80 people killed in Jdiadet al-Fadl. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based activist group, said it was able to identify at least 80 people killed in Jdiadet al-Fadl. |
| The SOHR - which has also released footage of the bloodshed - said some of the victims were summarily executed. There were reports of as many as 250 deaths, it added. | |
| The organisation documents and reports incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict and says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be verified. | The organisation documents and reports incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict and says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be verified. |
| Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted an activist in a nearby area as saying that 85 people had been summarily executed in the town. | Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted an activist in a nearby area as saying that 85 people had been summarily executed in the town. |
| Abu Ahmad al-Rabi said this included "28 shot at a makeshift hospital after Assad's forces went in Jdiadet al-Fadl". | Abu Ahmad al-Rabi said this included "28 shot at a makeshift hospital after Assad's forces went in Jdiadet al-Fadl". |
| "We fear that the victims of the massacre are much higher," the activist added. | "We fear that the victims of the massacre are much higher," the activist added. |
| The Sana news agency confirmed the fighting had taken place in Jdiadet al-Fadl. | |
| It said that a number of "terrorists" were killed and injured, without providing further details. | |
| Opposition frustration | |
| On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a doubling of US aid to Syria's rebels to $123m (£81m), including new - non-lethal - military equipment. | |
| Speaking at a meeting of the Friends of Syria group in Istanbul, Mr Kerry described the situation in Syria as "horrific". | |
| The rebels have been pushing for military supplies and insisted that any weapons they received would not "fall into the wrong hands". | |
| The US and EU have so far refused to supply the rebels with weapons, amid concerns that they may end up in the hands of Islamist extremists inspired by al-Qaeda. | |
| Before the Istanbul talks, the main opposition expressed its frustration with the lack of support, urging allies to act more decisively. |