Sunday, May 8, 2011

In Syria, the army steps in Banias

.- At least six people were killed Saturday in the coastal city of Banias (northwest), one focus of the protest taken by the army, while the opposition proposed the holding of free elections in six months to end to the crisis. Four women who demanded the release of detainees at the entrance of the city were killed by gunfire from security forces, according to a human rights activist.

Initially, three protesters were reported killed. Also, two people were killed, said an official of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The army opened fire at the end of the day in several districts of the city, according to human rights activists. These are the neighborhoods of the Corniche, at the southern entrance, in the souk and the bridges and Ras Marqb nabe.

"There are two dead and several wounded by gunfire, but no one knows who the perpetrators," said an official of that Centre. The security services with the help of the army came to arrest people, according to the sources, who claim there were snipers in buildings. According to these militants, army tanks entered early Saturday in Banias, a city of 40 000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast, where communications and electricity were cut.

Also, Navy ships patrolled the coast of southern neighborhoods, while the neighboring village of Baida was surrounded by tanks. In the afternoon, soldiers entered the Ras Al Ein neighborhood, where from the minarets of the mosques were launched calls for jihad (holy war), witnesses said.

A military source had said earlier that "army units and security forces chased today (Saturday) to members of terrorist groups in Banias (northwest) and Deraa around (south) to restore security and stability" said a military source. Soldiers and police "wanted persons were arrested and weapons seized these groups used to attack the army and citizens," the military said.

Since the beginning of this unprecedented revolt in mid-March, the regime blamed groups "criminals" or "terrorist" violence wracking the country. At the same time, the day after the bloody crackdown that left at least 26 deaths across the country, the opposition first proposed the holding of "free" elections in six months, to end the protests.

"The solution is simple: stop shooting at demonstrators, allow it to develop peaceful demonstrations, pick up all your photos and those of his father, release all political detainees, to introduce a national dialogue, authorizes political pluralism and organize elections Free and democratic elections in six months, "says the text of the group" Syrian Revolution 2011.

" In response to the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad, the EU decided to punish 13 members of the ruling leadership but not the president, for the moment, according to diplomatic sources. The White House in one of its most furious reactions warned the regime against "further measures" if not put an end to repression "brutal" of the protesters.

Amnesty International believes that violence, that "getting worse, mass arrests and mistreatment of detainees do nothing but strengthen the resolve of protesters across the country." More than 8000 people have been detained or gone missing since mid-March, according to Syrian NGOs. Since Facebook has called a demonstration to demand the release of prisoners on Tuesday.

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