Hundreds die
as Assad vows to escalate violence
kl:17,14 08|08|2012 Sawtalkurd
Today's Top
Stories
- Assad vows to continue his war on the opposition.
- Free Syrian Army claims responsibility for the assassination of Russian General Vladimir Petrovich Kojyev in Damascus.
- High-level defections continue, including another parliamentarian, two more colonels, the deputy police chief of Daraa province and additional officers and soldiers.
Today's Top
Videos
- Aleppo: More than 45 copses were discovered in the neighbourhood of Jamaa
- Naima, Daraa: Leaked video of Prime Minister Riyad Hijab while preparing for his departure to Jordan
- Aleppo: A number of military officers announce their defection the rebels’ side
Today's Statistics
- Death Toll: 257 (Aleppo:83, Damascus Suburbs: 45, Homs: 40, Daraa: 34, Hama: 18, Idlib: 15, Damascus: 11, Latakia: 6, Deir Azzour: 4, Tartous: 1)
- Free Syrian Army key operations:
- Killed at least 49 army soldiers throughout the country.
- Attacked the Political Security and Criminal Security headquarters in Aleppo.
- Destroyed two armoured units and killed many soldiers in Idlib, 2 more military tanks and several armored units in the town of Qasir in Homs.
- Captured the Military Security headquarters in the town of Mayadin in Deir Azzour and a police station in the town of Abu Kamal in Deir Azzour
Summary of
Events
During an official visit to Syria by the Iranian
National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, Assad vowed to purge his
country of what he called “terrorists.” Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army claimed
responsibility for the death of a Russian general Vladimir Petrovich Kojyev in
Damascus. Kojyev is an assistant to the Syrian minister of defence.
As
clashes continued between rebel fighters and regime forces in the city of
Aleppo, some 45 corpses were discovered today in the neighbourhood of Jamaa.
Regime fighter jets, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery continued to pound
rebel-held neighbourhoods and towns, leaving scores of people dead and many more
wounded.
In Damascus, regime forces resumed their heavy shelling of the
neighbourhood of Jobar, targeting rebels who clashed with regime forces as they
raided the neighbourhood. Regime forces also raided the neighbourhoods of Kazaz
and Shaghour, killed more than 20 people when they shelled the provincial town
of Kafarbatna and slaughtered five more in the town of Jesrin. A military
offensive also continued in the towns of Douma, Damir, Erbin, Ain Tarma and
several other towns.
Regime forces intensified the military offensive on
the province of Daraa and shelled the town of Baser al-Harir amid clashes with
rebel fighters. They also shelled several neighbourhoods in the central city and
carried out sweeps and arbitrary arrests in the provincial towns of Mahliha
Sharqiya, Tafas, Heitt and Karak Sharqi, destroying homes and leaving scores of
people dead and many more wounded.
High-level defections continued today
with Parliamentarian Ali Al-Besh fleeing to Turkey. Daraa Deputy Police Chief
General Ibrahim Jabawi, two colonels and other officers and soldiers also
announced their defection.
Regime forces continued attacks on the
neighbourhoods of Bab Amr, Sultaniya, Jobar, Deir Baalba and the Old City of
Homs as well as its provincial towns of Qasir, Krak des Chevaliers, Talbiseh and
Rasta. They also resumed shelling the city of Deir Azzour and its provincial
towns of Abu Kamal and Safeira Tahtiya. They shelled the city of Idlib and its
provincial towns of Ariha, Ma’arrat Naman, Salqin and Kafarnable, where
civilians continued to flee to Turkey. The regime forces also shelled the Hama
suburbs of Latamana, Madiq Fortress and Jabal Shahshabo, as well as the villages
of Akrad mountain and Salma resort in the province of Latakia.