An amateur video posted to YouTube purports to show the aftermath of mass killings on Wednesday in Jdeidet Artouz, a suburb of Damascus. The footage appears to show the bloodied bodies of several men lying in the dust, their hands tied behind their backs.
Fares, a resident of the neighborhood, told Reuters that at least 35 bodies were found. "Almost all of them were executed with bullets to their face, head and neck in homes, gardens and basements," he said.
Syrian state television claimed the dead were "dozens of terrorists and mercenaries" who surrendered or were killed when the army raided the neighborhood.
A photo distributed by the Shaam News Network SNN and reportedly taken on Wednesday appeared to show the burial of dozens of people killed in Jdeidet Artouz.
Activists say more than 19,000 people have lost their lives since the start of the conflict in Syria in March 2011. On Thursday, international mediator Kofi Annan handed in his resignation as U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria. According to Reuters, Annan blamed divisions and finger pointing within the U.N. Security Council as part of his reason for quitting.
WARNING: Video below contains graphic content.