The UK called Saturday for a “strong international response” following reports of a massacre of civilians by Syrian forces in a town in Homs province.
More than 90 adults and children were killed during shelling and shootings by government forces in Houla in the past 24 hours, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in an e-mailed statement. Explosions were also heard in the city of Homs, it said. British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the killings “an appalling crime” and said the UK would be calling for an “urgent” meeting of the UN Security Council.
“There are credible and horrific reports that a large number of civilians have been massacred at the hands of Syrian forces in the town of Houla, including children,” Hague said in an e-mailed statement Saturday. “We are consulting urgently with our allies on a strong international response, including at the UN Security Council, the EU and UN Human Rights bodies.”