Armed groups killed entire families, including women and children, during an outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria last week, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.

Entire families including women and children were killed in Syria's coastal region as part of a series of sectarian killings by the army against an insurgency by Bashar al-Assad loyalists, the U.N human rights office said on Tuesday.

A monitoring group says 973 civilians have been killed in revenge attacks against the Alawite sect since Thursday.

Entire families including women and children were killed in Syria's coastal region during a military crackdown against an insurgency by Bashar al-Assad loyalists, the U.N human rights office said on Tuesday.