A freelance photojournalist who visited the town of Tremseh after reports of a recent massacre the says he saw first-hand the evidence of heavy artillery and mass executions by the Syrian government. Daniel Leal Olivas is a Spanish photojournalist who has been covering the Syrian conflict from inside the country and traveled to Tremseh along with U.N. observers after reports that more than 200 people were slaughtered there last week. Olivas described the scene to Al Jazeera and seemed confirm definite evidence of military invovlement in the attack.

Olivas describes seeing fresh tracks that could only be made by tanks, used mortar shells, and distinct evidence of heavy weaponry that could not have belonged to the lightly armed rebels. He says he also saw "proof of executions" with blood and bullet holes in the bedrooms of burned-houses. He said survivors told them that there were executions and that people who were killed were civilians, not rebel fighters. Believing that Olivas was a U.N. observer, they also gave his this ominous warning:

"When you go, they're going to come back, they're going to kill us."

In addition to the violence, which Olivas says is getting worse as the conflict drags on, he also said that living conditions are deteriorating for average civilians with lack gas for heat and cooking, making life difficult for everyone.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at dbennett at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Dashiell Bennett