78 killed in new 'massacre' in Syria's Hama province

Damascus, June 7 (ANI): At least 78 people, including women and children, have been massacred by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in a village in central Syria last night, opposition leaders have claimed.

"We have 100 deaths in the village of Al-Kubeir in Syria's central Hama province, among them 20 women and 20 children," news.com.au quoted Mohammed Sermini, spokesman for the exiled opposition coalition, Syrian National Council, as saying.

Pro-regime shabiha militia armed with guns and knives carried out the new massacre at a farm after shelling by regular troops, a Britain-based Observatory said.What is certain is that dozens of people died, including women and children," the watchdog's Rami Abdel Rahman said.

In other violence, rebels killed almost 46 people in and around Damascus, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to figures by the Britain-based watchdog, at least 168 soldiers have been killed in the past week, including 76 at the weekend.

Reports of the massacre came after Russia and China said they were 'decisively against' intervention or regime change in Syria. (ANI)