Syrian troops and security forces have killed at least 1,100 civilians in their two-month campaign to crush pro-democracy demonstrations, Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah said on Tuesday.
Sawasiah said it had the names of the 1,100 people who it reported were killed mostly in the southern Hauran Plain region, where the uprising erupted on March 18.
The death toll rose sharply after street protests grew in number and spread out from the south, prompting a military crackdown, Sawasiah said.
The rights organization, founded by jailed human rights lawyer Mohannad al-Hassani, said it had reports of another 200 civilians deaths, but did not have names.
Syrian authorities have blamed most of the killings on "armed saboteur groups" backed by Islamists and outside powers that they say have killed more than 120 soldiers and police.
Syria has barred most international media since the protests broke out two months ago, making it difficult to verify accounts of the violence.
Meanwhile the chief of Syria’s armed forces, his deputy and the vice president join President Bashar al-Assad on a list of 10 officials hit by a European Union travel ban and assets freeze, the EU said Tuesday.
The 10 join another 13 regime heavyweights who were hit with EU sanctions on May 10 over the brutal repression of anti-government protesters.
Mr. Assad headlines the list published in the EU’s Official Journal one day after EU foreign ministers approved the measures at a meeting in Brussels.
The new figures include Dawud Rajiha, chief of staff of the armed forces, who is accused in the Official Journal of being "responsible for the military involvement in violence against peaceful protesters."
Asif Shawkat, the deputy chief of staff for security and reconnaissance, is said to be "involved in violence against the civilian population."
Vice President Faruq al-Shara is also on the EU list, along with the deputy vice president for national security, Muhammad Nasif Khayrbik, and a top Assad adviser, Bassam al-Hassan.
Businessman Mohamed Hamcho, a "local agent" for several foreign companies and brother-in-law of Assad’s brother, was also sanctioned because he "provides funding to the regime allowing violence against demonstrators," the EU said.
The list also includes the head of the national security bureau, Hisham Ikhtiyar, a member of the general intelligence directorate, Iyad Makhluf, and the vice president of the SyriaTel telecom company, Ihab Makhluf.
Stepping up pressure on Mr. Assad to halt weeks of relentless violence, the EU earlier this month imposed an arms embargo and targeted the president’s innermost circle, including his brother and four cousins.
After also suspending development aid, the EU on Monday invited the European Investment Bank "to suspend" new financing operations in Syria.