The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants have carried out the killings over the past two weeks in oil-rich Deir Ezzor province which the group mostly controls. Among the members of the Shaitat tribe killed were 100 fighters, but the rest were civilians, the Britain-based monitoring group said.
They were killed in Ghranij, Abu Hamam and Kashkiyeh villages, said the Observatory, which relies on a vast network of activists and medics on the ground for its information. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the fate of 1,800 other members of the Sunni Muslim tribe was unknown. Fighting between the militants and the tribe erupted after a deal between them collapsed, with the Shaitat refusing to bow to ISIS authority.
The ISIS has captured most of Deir Ezzor and declared it to be part of its "caliphate," along with large swathes of territory it has captured across the border in Iraq.
The Observatory said the Shaitat had vowed not to oppose the ISIS, in exchange for the militants not harassing or attacking its members.
But the ISIS had detained three members of the tribe, "violating" the agreement.
In northern Syria, rebels on Saturday were defending one of their main strongholds near the Turkish border against a rapid ISIS advance, the Observatory and an activist said.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), meanwhile, called for the US military to carry out air strikes on ISIS positions not only in northern Iraq but also in Syria.
ISIS fighters were nearing the towns of Marea and Aazaz, held by rebel groups battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, after seizing a number of villages in Aleppo province.
"The pressure ISIS now on Marea, militarily," said activist Abu Omar, spokesman for the town's "revolutionary council".
"The rebels have sent in many reinforcements and weapons to the area in and around Marea," he told AFP, speaking via the Internet.
"The rebels consider thISIS to be one of the most important battles against the ISIS... There's no question of losing," he added.
Abu Omar said the jihadist group, which ISIS also currently being targeted by US air strikes as it battles Western-backed Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, ISIS using heavy weaponry it seized when it routed the Iraqi army in June.
At a news conference on Saturday in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey, SNC leader Hadi al-Bahra appealed for Western intervention, after previous requests for military aid against regime forces were thwarted.
"In the name of humanity, I call on the United Nations and all countries which believe in freedom, starting with the United States, to take action in Syria the same way as it did in Iraqi Kurdistan," he said.
"The causes are the same, the enemy is the same, and double standards should not apply," said the leader of the exiled opposition group.
The Marea battle comes after ISIS fighters took control of around 10 nearby villages on Wednesday and Thursday, the Observatory said.
It said the fate of dozens of rebels captured during the jihadist offensive remained unknown after nine were beheaded on Wednesday and another eight on Saturday in Akhtarin.
Taking the towns of Marea and Aazaz would cut supply lines to rebel groups.
Aazaz, next to a border crossing with Turkey, would be a valuable asset for ISIS as it seeks to expand its self-declared "caliphate" in the territories it holds in Syria and Iraq.
ISIS emerged from al Qaeda's one-time branch in Iraq, and initially fought alongside Syria's opposition, including more moderate rebels and other militant fighters.
But its abuses and harsh brand of religion prompted a backlash from rebel groups that pushed it out of many opposition-held areas earlier this year.
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CIA recently disclosed they are secretly training the rebels and Obama said they are going to provide $500 million in assistance to the "moderate rebels" in Syria.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-begins-weapons-delivery-to-syrian-rebels/2013/09/11/9fcf2ed8-1b0c-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.html
http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-proposes-500-million-to-aid-syrian-rebels-1403813486
Looks like that is finally paying dividends. These stupid and hateful khawareejin cannot see the divide and rule being played by the west to ultimately enslave them. Their blind rage and hate has consumed them and they come across as munaafiq to many muslims. Only Allah knows best but many many muslims are seeing them as agents. May Allah punish them for their crimes against innocents. May he then guide them or finish them.
Iraq, Syria, and Libya have been flooded with weapons supplied by the world. ISIS have gained its weapons while fighting in Syria and most of its heavy weapons came from the coward Iraqi troops who had no desire to fight. In fact most Sunni population joined ISIS because they have similar religious beliefs and they did not want to fight them. Muslims have been killing Muslims for centuries nothing new only the weapons have become more lethal.
@nonever: Try telling this to others in the wrold and how much they accept.In every country and in every airport they are viewed with suspicion and that includes good and innocent people too.why blame the world when you have earned this good will.
The big question is, who supplied ISIS with their weaponry? Nobody seems to want to answer that question. It could not possibly be Western interests, because they are the good guys, and it just has to be a Muslim country, because they are the bad guys, and we know this is so, because with an odd exception, the Western corporate media (is there any other kind) keep on doing put-downs on the Muslims. Just the same I will feel more confident when an inspection is made in order to see where the weapons ISIS use are manufactured. Additionally, I would also feel better if some of the armchair warriors could explain How ISIS burst on the scene fully equipped with all the required weapons of war..
@WB: You are wrong. Hamas did not start the war. Dear WB, It is amazing how the corporate media convinces people like you to believe nonsense. I am sure that if they told you the world was flat you would believe them. Incidentally, unlike other people, Hamas, a democratically elected Government, has not stolen any land recently or at any other time, .
i dont't trust these propoganda campain by the western media even our media is also reproting the same without any proof.these so called wetern forces are so much worried about the iraq but they don't care about plaesine people in gaza where israeli terrorist killed thousand of paestine detroy their homes,destroy their ecomony why don't they attack these israeli terrorist.
@Sexton Blake:
You are absolutely right sir. That is indeed a war.
You are very perceptive. You have analyzed the situation very well.
Also, to add a point you missed, this Israel-Palestine war was started by Hamas.
@Gp65: Dear Gp65, As a result of Israel attacking Palestine 3 Israeli civilian finished up dead from Hamas fireworks, but in contrast 1900 Palestinians, including 430 children finished up dead, and 10,000 injured.. I would say that was war.. I have tried to get ET to print me several times. I am hoping this one will get through.
Typical muslim world .
@A
Yes sir. Pakistanis are generally very good thinkers, as I have found out.
That's why what's happening in Kashmir is a genocide. A religious cleansing. A massacre
And what happened in 1971 was a civil war.
And what is happening in Balochistan is a foreign sponsored insurrection.
IS, not ISIS
@A: I see. So even though Hamas is firing rockets at Israeli civilians, it is not war. Even though ISIS is killing unarmed Shias and Yazidis brutally it is war. Wow.
@All The difference is obvious in Iraq and Syria its war but Israel is doing genocide. There are many nations that openly because of USA condemn ISIS (and USA has made airstrike as well in Iraq) but there are non helping Gaza civilians and there is non who wants to talk about that.
@Kaghan wala: Sorry, not all the Sunnis support these barbarians cum opportunists.
This Syrian Observatory of Human Rights who broke the news was established after the Alqaeda groups launched in Syria and consists of spies of the west and their Arab allies. I have no trust in any news coming from this organization.
Islam is religion of peace. I really mean this. Human race will make every species to extinct before they realize. So god gifted islam to earth to eliminate humanity by vicious manner. So now everyone will understand what is mean by religion of peace. Example greatest king lord timur killed 17 million people, mugals followed his footsteps, now isis , Pakistani in Bangladesh riots 30million ppl. Ect..countless. Their motive is Peace.
and Pakistani seem more worried about those two Muslims who were roughed up in India for selling beef.
Why only Gaza..? Why Pak doesn't raise voice against innocent jihad killings.. Shame on you..
Why dont they go to Israil?
what would one expect from Criminals Inc. otherwise called ISIS-death and destruction.They will eventually pay a heavy price for it and will be decimated.They cant keep on playing the blood games without paying back with their own blood,if it be called blood.Might as well be poison circulating in their bodies.
All these Sunnis supported ISIS, now they don't like it? Why? What happened to the Happy Brotherhood Of The Sunnis?...also known as HBOTS. Sorry, live with it now. You helped, aided and abetted this spawn of the devil.
Where are all those commentators who only few days back were calling Israel and the Jews bad names? Why are they silent? Is not the deaths of these people worth any thing or is it because the killers are Muslims? Show your anger against thes deaths.
The rest of the world has suffered at the hands of the Islamic State at various times in history. This will open up old wounds. Timur massacred 17 million people in the name of Islam. Mughal atrocities are too many to count. All they left behind were their dead - buried in grand palaces made from spilling blood of the innocents. I don't think this is a good time to resurrect that ghost. Muslims are at the bottom of the power pyramid in the world. Keeping a low profile might have been the best option.
Life on an endangered Muslim is valuable or not depends upon who the aggressor is, if it is Israelis, American/westerners, India , buddists then the out cry, condemnation, number of comments, number of blogs, number of protests are sky high. When the aggressor are fellow Muslims there is a deafening silence and suddenly the massacred Muslims are of less value to people and to the govt of Islamic States. Pakistanis even went to the extend of condemning house of said for not saying enough on israil but not a word on Isis. Also somehow China is an exception to condemnation and Muslim solidarity rule. The problem of Isis and likes can only be sorted by other Muslims.