Syria: Weekend Death Toll Near 500; More than 18,000 Dead in 18-Months

The death toll during 18 months of hostilities between the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the opposition forces determined to unseat him has reached 18,000 according to United Nations estimates. In recent days, the number of deaths each day has risen sharply, spurred on by the discoveries of masses of bodies apparently shot and killed execution-style. In Dera’a, more than 200 bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head and neck. On Saturday alone, almost 500 people were reported killed – the highest one-day death toll since the counting began. The UN also estimates that at least 200,000 Syrians have now fled to Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.