HORRIFIC: Syrian activists decry 'massacre' in Houla - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

At least 90 people have been killed in an attack by Syrian government forces and loyalists on Houla, a town in Homs province, activists have said.

The victims of Friday's assault included at least 25 children, killed after government forces tried to break into the town, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Houla has been the scene of frequent anti-government protests since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in March last year. The town has also become a hub for opposition fighters. 

Syria's main opposition bloc put the toll at more than 100 and urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to examine the massacre.

"More than 110 people were killed [half of whom are children] by the Syrian regime's forces", the Syrian National Council said in a statement.

"Some of the victims were hit by heavy artillery while others, entire families, were massacred," said the statement by Bassma Kodmani, the council's head of foreign relations.

A team of UN observers visited the area to assess the situation on Saturday, but some activists complained that they just visited the village of Taldou, at the edge of Houla, rather than entering the town.

Videos posted online by activists showed more than a dozen bodies lined up inside a room. They included about 10 children who were covered with sheets that only showed their bloodied faces. 

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE: Syrian activists decry 'massacre' in Houla - Middle East - Al Jazeera English