Mass demonstrations in Syria in support of the
rebels
kl:12,57 21|07|2012 Sawtalkurd
Top Stories
- Massive demonstrations broke out across the country to demand the overthrow of Assad’s regime and support the rebels fighting against it.
- A funeral ceremony was held in Damascus for three of Assad’s senior security officials without Assad’s participation.
- Rebels clashed with regime forces in the city of Aleppo, seized control of two more towns and captured a missile battalion in its suburbs.
Top Videos
- Saladin, Aleppo: Mass protests and heavy skirmishes between regime forces and rebels, P2, P3
- Damascus: Regime forces commit massacres against protesters, P3, P3, P4
- Heraytan, Aleppo Suburb: Rebels seize control of the town, P2
Summary of Events
Despite
the heavy clashes between rebels and regime forces, hundreds of demonstrations
broke out across the country today to demand the downfall of Assad’s regime and
support the rebels fighting against it. The majority of protests took place in
the cities of Aleppo and Damascus where regime forces opened fire at protesters
killing six in Khalid Bin Walid Street in Damascus.
The capital Damascus
remains in a state of war as regime forces continued to use heavy artillery,
military tanks and helicopters in its battle against rebels taking positions in
the neighbourhoods of Ruken Addin, Maidan, Kafarsouseh and Mazeh. The rebels
seized control of the Yarmouk refugee camp and the neighbourhood of Mazeh and
launched attacks against on the Police General Command offices.
Bashar
Assad was absent today atthe funeral ceremony that was held in Damascus for his
top three security officials, his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, Defence Minister
Dawood Rajha and veteran army general Hassan Turkmani who were killed in an a
blast that targeted the National Security building on Wednesday. The state
television also confirmed the death of Syria's intelligence chief Hisham
Bakhtiar who was injured on the day of the explosion.
The fighting has
escalated in the city of Aleppo as rebels clashed with regime forces in the
neighbourhood of Saladin. They also seized control of more territories such as
Heraytan and captured a missile battalion in the town of Menbej in the province
of Aleppo.
Regime forces killed more than 215 people today; forty-six
died as a result of the heavy shelling that targeted the Damascus suburbs of
Erbin, Sbaineh, Sayeda Zainab, Thiyabiya, Moadamiya, Yalda, Heran Awamid, Deir
Asafir, Zabdin and Kafrin. Fourteen more were killed in Khalid Bin Walid Street
and the neighbourhoods of Maidan, Barzeh, Kafarsouseh, Jobar, Yarmouk and
Salhiya in the city of Damascus. Sixteen more died in the province of Daraa as a
result of the heavy shelling that targeted the towns of Ibtaa, Inkhel, Khirbet
Ghazaleh, Tafas, Om Walad and Karak Sharqi. Nineteen were killed in Homs due to
the heavy shelling that targeted the neighbourhoods of Khaldiya, Khodor and Baba
Amr and its provincial towns of Rastan, Talbiseh and Qasir. Seventeen died in
Aleppo as regime forces opened fire at protesters in the neighbourhoods of
Masaken Hanano, Sukari, al-Bab Road and Sha’ar and continued the heavy shelling
of the provincial towns of Injara, Indan, Bayanoun and Heraytan. Sixteen more
were killed in the province of Idlib due to the heavy gunfire that targeted the
town of Kafarnabel and the heavy shelling that targeted the towns of Maghara,
Mastouma, Salqin, Sarmin and Saraqeb. Five died in the Hama suburb of
Kafarzeita. Five more died in the suburb of Latakia; while six more were killed
in the heavy shelling that targeted the city of Boukamal in Deir Azzour
province.
Regime forces continued to attack civilian areas in the
neighbourhoods of Jobar, Sultaniya, Qosur, Qarabis and Jouret Sheyah in Homs and
its provincial towns of Houleh, Qasir and Krak des Chevaliers as well as the
city of Deir Azzour and its provincial towns of Shahil and Mohassan.
An
army general and 21 other military officers fled to Turkey yesterday while
defections in the Syrian army continued throughout the country.
European
Union member states reached a deal Thursday on a significant new package of
sanctions on Syria, including ordering member states to search ships and planes
suspected of carrying arms to the country. Measures include sanctions on 26
individuals, most of whom will be subject to an asset freeze and visa ban for
travel to Europe.