Monday, May 9, 2011

The Syrian army off protests in several cities

In an attempt to prevent the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian army took the city of Homs, the third largest in the country. After the entry of the military machine gun fire were heard and bombs in the city, home to one million people, according to witnesses quoted by Arab media. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the soldiers came in tanks in the districts of Bab Sebaa, Bab al-Amro and Tal Sour Homs.

They also said that at least a 12-year-old died, but gave no details of the plea. "These areas have been under a complete site since yesterday. There are no data on the number of dead or wounded. Telecommunications and electricity have been cut repeatedly in these districts, "it said in a statement.

One activist said by telephone that there were reports of more deaths, "but we can not confirm. I can not go home. " In Tafas, a city of 30 000 inhabitants, there were mass arrests and a man was killed by security forces. While in Banias, located on the Mediterranean coast, telephone communications, electricity and drinking water were cut, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, president of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The city is isolated from the world and in the neighborhoods of the South, a stronghold of militant protest, there are snipers on rooftops." Protests against Al-Assad began in Deraa on 18 March. The protesters are demanding political freedom, an end to corruption and the resignation of the president.

Al-Assad has said that the protesters are part of a foreign conspiracy to cause sectarian violence. Activists estimate that the repression has left 800 dead. The Army is involved in Homs and Banias after 10 days siege of the city of Dera, the main focus of the protest. In this metropolis, the military detained hundreds of individuals as human rights activist.

At least 30 tanks patrol Banias, a port city that is proving the most active in the protests, according to opponents. Protests spread last Friday throughout the plains region of Hauran, a strategic agricultural region that borders Jordan on the south and the Golan Heights in the west. In Tafas, the soldiers raided houses and arrested young opponents, while maintaining tanks surrounded Deal, a village near the main highway leading to Jordan.

No comments:

Post a Comment