and the remaining 200 FSA fighters under heavy bombardment by government forces withdrew from the town. The rebels were reported to have retreated to Turkey. The FSA called the pullout a tactical retreat, to avoid the killing of more civilians. The rebels claimed that heavy shelling of the town had caused significant damage to the area's infrastructure and shortages in water and electricity supplies. In addition, the FSA statement said the withdrawal from the town and its suburbs was to avoid another "massacre" and orders were reportedly given to FSA fighters to evacuate the injured and killed civilians, which included women and children. Aftermath UN observers were blocked from entering the city during the battle, but received reports of civilians trapped and unable to leave. After the battle, UN monitors were met with the "smell of death", as they entered the deserted town of al-Haffah which had been shelled for eight consecutive days. The UN observers found the Sunni Muslim town completely abandoned with burned out wrecks of cars and at least one charred body lying on a street. References See also Houla massacre Al-Kubeir massacre Al-Haffah District al-Haffah Latakia Governorate in the Syrian civil war al-Haffah al-Haffah al-Haffah