Syria death toll exceeds 200 thousand, Human Observatory says

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it documented deaths of more than 106,000 people, but warns that actual death toll could be twice as high, according to DPA.

The real death toll in the Syrian war could be more than 200,000 people, a pro-opposition watchdog group said Saturday, as it provided a latest count that matched that of the UN. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of more than 106,000 people, but warned that the real toll could be twice as high. The United Nations said in July that more than 100,000 have been killed in Syria since March 2011.

"We estimate that the real figure... is double the figure documented by the Observatory due to extreme secrecy that both sides in the conflict maintain on their casualties," said the Britain-based organization. The Observatory said it had documented the deaths of 106,423 people, including 53,851 civilians.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 largely as peaceful protests against Assad's rule. It escalated into a civil war after opposition supporters took up arms to fight a brutal government crackdown on dissent.

The dead also included 26,853 Regime soldiers and 171 militants from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group and a key ally of Assad.

Zaman Alwasl