A gang slaughtered a baby and a four-year-old boy with an axe in war-torn Syria after learning that the children’s dad who was working abroad may have sent them cash so they could emigrate to join him.

The pair were hacked to death in their home while their mother was out applying for a passport for her son.

Their 16-year-old sister was also seriously injured in the brutal attack as she tried to defend her siblings, it was reported.

The gruesome killings reportedly took place in the city of Al-Harak, in Syria’s south-western Daraa Governorate – which is currently under the control of the Syrian government.

At least one suspect has been apprehended, as seen in this footage. The images were obtained by Newsflash from the Syrian Ministry of the Interior, with the suspect reportedly confessing to killing the boys and injuring their sister.

The attack was reportedly blamed on thieves who had entered the home of Mohammed Farid Al-Qaddah, who works in Libya.

The four-year-old victim, Abdul Rahman Muhammad Farid Al-Qaddah, and his eight-month-old brother, Ahmed Muhammad Farid Al-Qaddah, were killed on the spot.

Their teenage sister, Manar Muhammad Farid Al-Qaddah, suffered severe injuries to the neck.

The murder weapon was reportedly found inside the house. Local media reported that crimes like this are uncommon in the area due to close social ties in the community.

Local media also reported that the suspects were able to flee without leaving a trace, as the area is free of dirt and sand. But at least one suspect appears to have been caught, according to the Syrian authorities.

Relatives of the victims reportedly said that the murders were motivated by financial gain, adding that the parties knew the family and that they must have found out that the mother had received some money from her husband working in Libya to cover the cost of the passport for his son to join him.

The sister was taken to hospital in a serious condition. There have been no updates on her present status.

The investigation is ongoing.