Islamists fighters from the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front have executed at least 56 Syrian government soldiers from the Abu al-Duhur airbase in the north-west of the country which was captured earlier this month, according to human rights activists.
The mass execution took place at the military airfield in Idlib province a “few days ago,” according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which managed to confirm the brutal massacre after jihadists dispersed photos of it online.
“We confirmed it yesterday in the evening, via people who witnessed it, and via some pictures that arrived – the execution happened,” SOHR’s director, Rami Abdulrahman, told Reuters.
The airbase fell to Islamist fighters earlier this month following a two-year siege. Abu al-Duhur military airport was the last major facility controlled by government forces in Idlib province.
The government troops were forced to withdraw from their positions after a furious attack by a coalition of Islamists groups which moved in to encircle the base under the cover of a sandstorm. The conditions meant that Syria’s air force could not provide support.
READ MORE: Islamist militants capture last Syrian govt stronghold in Idlib province
According to the SOHR, at least 71 Syrian soldiers have been killed at Abu al-Duhur since its capture, with executions reportedly beingcarried out by members of the terrorist Al-Nusra Front and the Turkistan Islamic Party.
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