The Islamic State starts its rampage across Syria

Since August began, gunmen from the Islamic State have executed 700 members of a Syrian tribe, the majority of which were civilians, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)-a human rights monitoring group-on August 16.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - SOHR has tracked violence in Syria's three-year-old civil war, and said that reliable sources reported that Islamic State militants were executing many of the al-Sheitaat tribe, from Deir al-Zor province, many via beheading.

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Conflict between the Islamic State and the Syrian tribe began in July, after the Islamic State seized two oil fields.

"Those who were executed are all al-Sheitaat," said Observatory director Rami Abdelrahman. "Some were arrested, judged and killed."

Sheik Rafaa Aakla al-Raju, the leader of the al-Sheitaat tribe, called for other tribes to join together against the Islamic State.

"We appeal to the other tribes to stand by us because it will be their turn next...If (Islamic State) are done with us the other tribes will be targeted after al-Sheitaat. They are the next target," he said.

The Islamic State has captured most of Deir al-Zor and declared it to be part of its "caliphate," adding it to the massive gains the group has made in Iraq.

SOHR said the al-Sheitaat tribe had previously agreed not to oppose the armed group's authority, so long as the Islamic State did not harass or attack any of its members.

Fighting began after the tribe refused to acknowledge Islamic State authority.

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