lousy reporting on Syria in the Economist

The Economist is indistinguishable in its reporting on Syria from the most lousy Western media.  Look at this:  "Opposition sources reckon that a weeklong government offensive in the suburbs south-west of Damascus in mid-April may have left 250 dead, nearly all civilians."  Economist like Western media report whatever they receive from the exile opposition (just as they had done previously with the claims by Iraqi National Congress of Ahmad Chalabi--yes, we remember).  Exile opposition never ever admits that among their dead are fighters. All their dead are always civilians.  For some reason, the bombs and bullets of the regime forces never ever kill Syrian opposition fighters. It only hit civilians. And the Economist dutifully parrot that line.  And how did the correspondent know that "nearly all" of the dead are civilians? Has the correspondent examined the bodies one by one?