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Syrian troops accused of war crimes

Ap
Wednesday 02 May 2012 21:38 BST
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Syrian government forces committed war crimes during a two-week offensive in the northern province of Idlib shortly before a ceasefire came into effect on 12 April, an international human rights watchdog has claimed.

Human Rights Watch said troops killed at least 95 civilians and burned or destroyed hundreds of houses as the UN/Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was negotiating an end to the fighting.

In a 38-page report based on a field investigation, the group documented summary executions, killings of civilians and arbitrary detentions and torture that it says qualify as war crimes.

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