The bodies of 62 people, including 14 children, have been found in a Sunni neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Banias.

The latest incident has been condemned by the opposition Syrian National Coalition. The mass killing is raising fears of a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

The victims are believed to have been killed on Friday during an assault by the army and Alawite members of the National Defence Forces.

The mass killing is the second "massacre" to be reported in the Banias area this week.