When questioned about the murder of Belgian civilians, Peiper said they were partisans.
According to the German semi-official account, during the fall of the town, some 161 Belgian civilians were murdered by German forces.
After the armistice, the Allies wanted to try d'Elsa as a war criminal for his alleged role in atrocities committed against Belgian civilians.
Eventually, 43 survivors found refuge, some with the help of Belgian civilians.
Peiper's men murdered about 100 Belgian civilians.
On 26 August, 121 Belgian civilians were executed in at Arlon train station on his order.
The German invasion triggered a panic amongst Belgian civilians in the path of the advancing German army.
Nevertheless, Belgian civilians were often subject to retaliation by paramilitaries and German forces for resistance activity.
The Malmedy massacre and the killing of Belgian civilians is given much attention.
It is possible that some Belgian civilians engaged in resistance, though none is documented.