Amnesty: Syrian killing meant to intimidate rebels

Beirut (AP) — Syrian forces and militias dragged men from their homes, executing them and burning their bodies as their families watched — a campaign to terrorize the residents of towns believed to shelter rebels, Amnesty International charged in a report released Wednesday.

The report by the London-based rights group said Syrian forces were engaging in a scorched-earth policy in some areas, killing some civilians and torturing others, shooting livestock and burning crops and houses in rebel-held areas.