Syrian authorities on Monday blamed "Islamist militants" for the massacre of 108 men, women and children in the town of Houla and denied UN and witness accounts that army tanks were in the area at the time.
 
In a letter to the UN Security Council published by state media, the foreign ministry said the Syrian army had clashed with hundreds of armed men who it said committed Friday's massacre.

The ministry said the killers used knives, which it called a "signature" of attacks by Islamist fighters. It said three Syrian soldiers were killed and 16 wounded.

Not a single tank entered the region and the Syrian army was in a state of self-defence using the utmost degree of self control and appropriate response, and anything other than this is pure lies."
 
"The terrorist armed groups ... entered with the purpose of killing and the best proof of that is the killing by knives, which is the signature of terrorist groups who massacre according to the Islamist way."