The Islamic State group on Saturday killed at least 300 people after it partially captured government-held Deir Ezzor city in east Syria, according to state-run SANA news agency and the Syrian government.
SANA reported that most of the deceased victims were elderly people, women and children, but the opposition activists claimed that Syrian soldiers, and pro-government militiamen and their families were killed in large numbers, AP reported.
Meanwhile, AFP reported citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) that the militant group took as many as 400 civilians, including women and children, into its captivity.
"After their attack on Deir Ezzor (on Saturday), IS abducted at least 400 civilians from the residents of the Al-Baghaliyeh neighbourhood it captured and adjacent areas in the northwest of the city," AFP quoted the SOHR as saying on Sunday.
"Those abducted, all of whom are Sunnis, include women, children and family members of pro-regime fighters," SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The abducted civilians have been sent to other areas held by Isis militants.
The SOHR documented the death of at least 135 people "during the Islamic State attack on Al-Bghiliyyeh area up to the outskirts of al-Jura area" on Saturday. While 85 were civilians, 50 were "members from the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them".
The Observatory said that many of the victims were either shot dead or beheaded by the members of jihadist militant group, according to AP.
Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi blamed the states that are allegedly funding the terror organisation for the "massacre", Al Arabia News quoted SANA as saying.
The "legal and moral responsibility for this barbaric and cowardly massacre... lies on the shoulders of all the states that support terrorism and that fund and arm takfiri (Sunni extremist)" groups, Syrian Prime Minister said.
The Observatory said the Isis has gained control over about 60% of Deir Ezzor city after Saturday's attack. Meanwhile, the Isis-affiliated Aamaq news agency claimed the militant group seized Al-Baghaliyeh and areas surrounding the region after defeating the government forces on Saturday.
