Britain Deeply Concerned at Syria 'Massacre' Reports

Britain expressed grave concern on Sunday at reports that several hundred bodies have been found in a town near Damascus following a fierce assault by the Syrian army.

"I am deeply concerned by emerging reports of a brutal massacre of civilians in Daraya, in the outskirts of Damascus," said junior foreign minister Alistair Burt.

"The Syrian regime's appalling repression of its people, over more than 17 months, has left little space for independent observers to operate in Syria. This makes it extremely difficult to verify what took place yesterday.

"If confirmed it would be an atrocity on a new scale, requiring unequivocal condemnation from the entire international community," he added.

"It would make yesterday the bloodiest day since the unrest in Syria began in March 2011, with over 400 killed across the country."

A grisly video issued by Syrian opposition fighters showed bodies lined up in a mosque complex in Daraya after a massive offensive by regime troops.

At least 320 corpses were found on Saturday and Sunday in Daraya after a five-day onslaught against rebel fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Burt called for urgent international action to bring an end to Syria's bloody 17-month conflict, which the United Nations says has killed more than 17,000 people and sparked an exodus of 200,000 refugees to neighboring countries.