The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, Rupert Colville, said that a "substantial part" of the killings in Houla, Syria, were "summary executions" on Tuesday.
Colville said,
"At this point, it looks like entire families were shot in their houses."
"What is very clear is that this was an absolutely abominable event that took place in Houla, and at least a substantial part of it were summary executions of civilians - women and children,"
According to The Times, Colville asserted that only 20 of the deaths were due to artillery or shell fire.
See here for full story in The Times, including photographs of the victims (warning - graphic content).
His remarks came as the Kofi Annan described the situation in Syria as "at a tipping point".
Annan said,
"We are at a tipping point. The Syrian people do not want the future to be one of bloodshed and division. Yet the killings continue and the abuses are still with us today."
The U.N. peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, said,
"Part of the victims had been killed by artillery shells, now that points ever so clearly to the responsibility of the government. Only the government has heavy weapons, has tanks, has howitzers," Ladsous told reporters, adding:
"But there are also victims from individual weapons, victims from knife wounds and that of course is less clear but probably points the way to the (pro-Assad) shabbihas, the local militia."
One elderly woman gave her account of the incident to Human Rights Watch:
“I was in the house with my three grandsons, three granddaughters, sister-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law and cousin . . . I was in a room by myself when I heard the sound of a man. He was shouting and yelling at my family. I hid behind the door . . . After three minutes I heard all my family members screaming and yelling. The children, aged between 10 and 14, were crying . . . As I approached the door I heard several gunshots."
“I was so terrified I couldn’t stand on my legs. I heard the soldiers leaving. I looked outside the room and saw all of my family members shot. They were shot in their bodies and their head.”
