Syrian security forces monitored armed civilians who killed Alawites, accused man says

One man accused of killing an Alawite during the sectarian violence in March tells the BBC that armed civilians were advised and monitored by government forces.

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Abu Khalid said he had travelled as a civilian fighter to the Mediterranean coastal village of Sanobar on 7 March, to help battle former regime insurgents.

"The General Security department told us not to harm civilians, but only to shoot at insurgents who shot at us," he told me.

"There were eight men with me, but it was a large group, and the General Security department was overseeing things so that no-one would vandalise the village or harm the residents."

He later filmed himself shooting dead a 64-year-old village resident, Mahmoud Yusef Mohammed, at the entrance to his house.