Islam Times - Terrorist attacks kill 115 Syrian Shias

Islam Times - The Shia community in the Syrian city of Homs has been the main target of armed groups since the beginning of unrest in the country.

According to local reports, more than 115 Shias have been killed in the restive city in the past few months.

Assailants have also destroyed and set ablaze dozens of Shia-owned homes and businesses.

The violence has forced many families to flee the area and seek refuge elsewhere.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have rallied across the country on Wednesday to express their support for President Bashar al-Assad.

The demonstrators also stressed the need for national unity, security and stability. They also condemned the AL decision to suspend Damascus from the 22-member bloc.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March, with demonstrations held both against and in support of President Assad.

According to the United Nations, more than 3,000 people, including the members of the security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.

On Tuesday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 34 Syrian soldiers were killed in an attack by armed groups in the southern province of Dara'a. According to the observatory, 12 armed men and over 20 civilians were also killed in the clashes.

The opposition and Western countries accuse Syrian security forces of being behind the killings in the country, but the government blames what it describes as outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups for the deadly violence, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.