Zara'a attack

{{Short description|Attack during the Syrian civil war}} {{Infobox civilian attack | title = Zara'a attack | partof = the Syrian civil war | image = File:Harbnafsah nahiyah.svg | caption = Zara'a in the Hirbnafsah Nahiyah, Hama Governorate | location = Hama Governorate, Syria | target = Alawite civilians, National Defence Forces | coordinates = | date = 12 May 2016 | time = | timezone = | type = Shooting | fatalities = 8-30 NDF militiamen 20-30 women 12-23 children Unknown number lost till this day | injuries = Unknown | susperps = | perps = Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham | weapons = AK-47s and other small arms | motive = Sectarianism }}

On 12 May 2016, rebel militants of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham attacked and captured the Alawite village of Zara'a, Southern Hama Governorate.<ref name="Zara'a">{{cite web |date=12 May 2016 |title=Syrian opposition forces massacre, kidnap 120 civilians in southern Hama |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-opposition-forces-massacre-kidnap-120-civilians-southern-hama/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301100157/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-opposition-forces-massacre-kidnap-120-civilians-southern-hama/ |archive-date=1 March 2021 |access-date=1 June 2016 |work=Al-Masdar News}}</ref><ref name="Reuters">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-village-idUSKCN0Y30Y2|title=Rebels seize Alawite village in Syria, abduct civilians: Observatory|work=Reuters|date=12 May 2016|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>

==The attack== An early morning surprise attack on Zara'a defeated a National Defence Forces unit stationed there, and allowed the rebels to enter the predominantly Alawite village.<ref name="Red Crescent">{{cite web|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/islamists-agree-hand-corpses-civilians-massacred-northern-homs/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525145744/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/islamists-agree-hand-corpses-civilians-massacred-northern-homs/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 25, 2016|title=Islamists agree to hand over corpses of civilians massacred in northern Homs|work=Al-Masdar News|date=24 May 2016|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, eight pro-government militiamen were killed and several villagers were kidnapped,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alawite civilians 'killed in homes' in opposition attack on Hama village |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/alawite-civilians-killed-homes-opposition-attack-hama-village |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref> while the Local Coordination Committees of Syria claimed that 30 pro-government militiamen were killed.<ref name="Ynet">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4802513,00.html|title=Al-Qaida, hard-line rebels seize Alawite village in Syria|work=Ynet|date=12 May 2016|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> More clashes continued into the afternoon with the Syrian and Russian Air Forces conducting airstrikes on rebel positions.<ref name="Ynet"/> This rebel attack was a part of an assault in "revenge for Aleppo."<ref name="Reuters"/>

==Aftermath== According to the pro-government outlet Al-Masdar News, the kidnapped civilians were taken to the al-Rastan plains.<ref name="Zara'a"/> Some of the captured were pro-government troops.<ref name="Reuters"/> On 24 May 2016, the Syrian Red Crescent convinced the militants to hand over civilians and NDF bodies.<ref name="Red Crescent"/> They were transported by the Syrian Army to the Homs Military Hospital for identification the next day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-recovers-bodies-42-massacred-civilians-zaraha/|title=Syrian Army recovers the bodies of 42 civilians massacred at Zarah by rebel forces|work=Al-Masdar News|date=25 May 2016|access-date=1 June 2016|archive-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617171147/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-recovers-bodies-42-massacred-civilians-zaraha/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Reactions== {{flagu|Ba'athist Syria }}: Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi said that the massacre was "a heinous crime against the whole world." He also mentioned that "the international community must stand by Syria in fighting terrorism and should take immediate steps to prevent the countries which support terrorism from supplying terrorists with arms and money, on top Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/al-zara-massacre/|title=Foreign-backed terrorists commit massacre in al-Zara [Hama countryside], 2 civilians killed in terrorist rocket attack on Aleppo|work=Syrian Free Press|date=12 May 2016|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also sent two letters where they called on the UN Secretary-General and the UN Security Council to condemn the massacre.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

{{flagu|France}}: A French MP and president of the France-Syria Friendship Group in the National Assembly, Gérard Bapt condemned the murder of Alawite families in Zara'a. He added that "the recent initiative to officially add Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam to the list of terrorist organizations was not supported by the UN Security Council due to the fact that five Western countries have disagreed." He further said "[We] must take the appropriate measures in Riyadh and within the framework of the High Negotiation Committee in Vienna to ensure the immediate liberation of civilians who were taken hostage."{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:2016 mass shootings in Asia Category:2016 massacres in the Syrian civil war Category:Terrorist incidents in Syria in 2016 Category:Massacres committed by the al-Nusra Front in the Syrian civil war Category:Hama Governorate in the Syrian civil war Category:May 2016 crimes in Asia Category:May 2016 in Syria Category:Persecution of Alawites Category:Mass shootings in Syria Category:Ambushes of the Syrian civil war Category:Kidnappings in Syria Category:Mass kidnappings in the 2010s