Although the majority of able-bodied men had been drafted into the army, others remained if they were too old or young to serve, had deserted, or had paid the exemption tax. Unlike in the Hamidian massacres or Adana events, massacres were not usually committed in the Armenian villages to avoid destruction of property or unauthorized looting. Instead, the men were usually separated from the rest of the deportees during the first few days, and executed. Few resisted as they believed it would put their families in greater danger. Boys above the age of twelve (sometimes fifteen) were treated as adult men. Execution sites were chosen due to proximity to major roads but with rugged terrain, lakes, wells, or cisterns to facilitate the concealment or disposal of the corpses.