Hundreds of Syrians have deserted coastal towns where government troops reportedly killed an estimated 150 people in two days. Activists posted footage online of mutilated and charred bodies, including women and children, killed in massacres in al-Bayda and Baniyas. Syrian government claimed the army operations were to drive back terrorist groups and restore peace. Refugees from the area have been blocked from taking shelter in a city south of the conflicted area, activists say.