Aleppo Execution Video Draws Condemnation

Apparent rebel execution of loyalists draws rebuke from other rebel and opposition groups.

In the video, apparent rebels lead a group of prisoners identified as pro-government paramilitary fighters known as shabiha into a courtyard. Several prisoners look bloodied and dazed. One is wearing only boxer shorts. The fighters shout "God is great!" as the prisoners are shoved against a wall. The fighters step back and open fire with their AK-47 rifles for more than 30 seconds, apparently squeezing off hundreds of rounds in a frenzy of shooting and shouting.

Afterward, the camera zooms in on what appears to be four bloodied bodies. Some reports identified the execution site as a school in Aleppo.

The opposition has said that those targeted were members of the Berri clan, a family with close ties to the government. Among those reportedly killed was the clan leader, Zeino Berri. Rebels accused him and others of committing atrocities against civilians. But the executions drew condemnation of the rebel forces. Several opposition groups also publicly denounced the killings.