Houla deaths: Western states to expel Syrian diplomats

Major Western powers say they are expelling senior Syrian diplomats following the killing of 108 people in the Houla region of Syria on Friday.

The United States, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands all took action against Syria’s envoys. Most of the victims in Houla were summarily executed, the UN says. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told the UN envoy “terrorists” are to blame for the violence. He told Kofi Annan, visiting Damascus on behalf of the UN and Arab League, that terrorists had stepped up their operations across Syria, including killing and kidnapping. His remarks were quoted by state TV. Earlier, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said initial investigations had suggested that most of those killed in the village of Taldou, near Houla, were summarily executed. He said 49 children and 34 women were among the victims. UN observers who visited Taldou said many of the victims had been killed by close-range gunfire or knife attacks. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that pro-government shabiha militiamen had carried out the killings. Survivors said they had hidden or played dead.