UN monitors in Syria: Most of 108 killed in Houla massacre were summarily executed by pro-Assad Shabbiya - @Reuters

GENEVA | Tue May 29, 2012 5:22am EDT

GENEVA (Reuters) - Fewer than 20 of the 108 people confirmed as having been killed in the "appalling massacre" in the Syrian town of Houla died from artillery and tank fire, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.

Survivors have told U.N. investigators that most of the other victims died in two bouts of summary executions carried out by pro-government Shabbiya militia in the nearby village of Taldaou, U.N. rights spokesman Rupert Colville said.

"I believe at this point, and I would stress we are at very preliminary stages, that under 20 of the 108 can be attributed to artillery and tank fire," he told a news briefing in Geneva, adding that 49 children and 34 women were among the victims.