<p>   u00a0</p>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   When the massacre took place May 25-26, Syrian government forces were deployed around Houla. Some 600-800 anti-regime fighters carried out coordinated attacks against Syrian troops, who never entered Houla&#39;s residential areas, said Brigadier General Qassem Jamal Suleiman, head of a special committee set up by the government to investigate the massacre.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   &quot;During armed clashes between (anti-government) fighters and the army, the latter did not leave its positions,&quot; he said.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   Over 100 people, including dozens of children and women, were killed in Houla, a cluster of villages in Syria&#39;s western Homs province, in one of the deadliest events since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   Suleiman said that those killed in the massacre were members of &quot;families who refused to oppose the government and were at odds with the armed groups&quot;.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   The killings triggered international outrage, including strong condemnation by the UN Security Council.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said the pro-Assad &quot;shabbiha&quot; militia was responsible for many of the killings in the massacre, while part of the victims had been killed by artillery shells fired at Houla&#39;s residential areas by government forces.</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   u00a0</div>  <div id="cke_pastebin">   But Suleiman said &quot;there were no people who died as a result of artillery shelling among the victims of the Houla slaughter&quot;. Forensic examination revealed no fractured bones and signs of death caused by artillery explosions in victims&#39; bodies.</div>  

A preliminary investigation has showed that anti-government armed groups had carried out last week's massacre in Syria's Houla town, Syrian authorities said

Anti-government gangs blamed for Syria massacre

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Anti-government gangs blamed for Syria massacre

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