Last year, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Syrian forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, massacred [1] around 45 civilians in the central town of Hama.
This year, the bloodshed is in a village in the vicinity of Hama, Traymseh, but the death toll is believed to be several times higher.
According to activists, around 220 civilians were murdered [2] in the village on 12 July, including three entire families. Syrian writer and blogger Rime Allaf [3] writes:
@rallaf [4]: News about another massacre in #Syria, #Hama province: some 220 victims, many slaughtered with knives, children too, 3 entire families.
Reactions ranged between uncontrollable rage and sadness to absolute helplessness. Syrian activist Shakeeb Al-Jabri sums up his feelings here:
@LeShaque [5]: I don't know whether it is sad or desperate or what when one's reaction to a massacre is “deja vu.” #Syria
While Kareem Lailah tweets:
@KareemLailah [6]: صار في سوريين تحت الأرض أكتر من عليها #Syria
Shakeeb al-Jabri also laments the inaction of international institutions regarding massacres of Syrians, especially that this is not the first massacre to take place on the event of a major UNSC meeting on Syria:
@LeShaque [8]: Mood, Annan, Ban, the UNSC will all condemn the massacre but not the perpetrator, as if the people just died spontaneously. #Syria
And true to the word, shortly after the massacre, US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, came out to condemn the massacre:
@AmbassadorRice [9]: Reports of #TraymsehMassacre are nightmarish – dramatically illustrate the need for binding #UNSC measures on #Syria.
“The world watches, while we're slaughtered. Traymseh Massacre, we will not forget”, by the Union of Facebook Pages for the Syrian Revolution [10]
NuffSilence [11], sarcastically, reminds his readers about the newly-established Ministry of National Reconciliation:
@NuffSilence [12]: Important to note this is the 1st massacre of its kind under the new National Reconciliation ministry (which Bashar bragged to Annan about)
While Safaa Sankari reflects a common feeling among Syrians that have been discovering the small towns of their nation's country side through these tragedies:
@SafaaSankari [13]: Over 200 people killed in #TraymsehMassacre #Syria today; cities I never knew existed in Syria I know now of because of these massacres :(
Ugariti Homsi mocks Syrian authorities’ claim that they have arrested the “perpetrators” mere hours after the massacre:
@Ugariti_Homsi [14]: Syria state TV: “the terrorists who committed #TraymsehMasscare were arrested” OMG i'm having a heart attack right now!! #Liars
And finally, Sami al-Hamwi, shares a picture of the different protests around the country condemning the massacre:
@HamaEcho [15]: AJM showing 5 different streams of protests in support of Treimseh tonight. #Syria
AJM showing 5 different streams of protests in support of Treimseh tonight. Uploaded by Twitter user @HamaEcho