Attacks in Houla, a group of villages 25 km from Homs city, claimed the lives of over 108 people, which included at least 49 children under the age of 10 and 32 women.

Addressing a press conference to announce the initial assessments, Brigadier General Qasem Jamal Sulaiman said Thursday that the armed groups attacked several posts of the government troops that responded in self-defence, Xinhua reported.