23 Civilians, 8 Troops Dead as Syrian Forces Launch Ground Assault on Baba Amr
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syrian forces on Wednesday killed 23 people across the country and launched a ground assault on a rebel-held district of Homs after shelling it for 26 straight days, as world pressure grew for humanitarian access to besieged protest cities.
A security source told Agence France Presse in Damascus that Baba Amr "is under control," after activists had earlier said that elite troops of the Fourth Armored Division had taken up position around the holdout neighborhood of Syria's third-largest city.
"The army has started combing the area building by building and house by house. Now the troops are searching every basement and tunnel for arms and terrorists," the security source said.
"There remain only few pockets" of resistance.
A human rights watchdog and an activist in the central city however denied that troops had moved into Baba Amr, insisting that clashes were taking place only on the outskirts of the flashpoint neighborhood.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights insisted that rebel forces were "preventing an attempt to storm" Baba Amr and that gunfire could be heard in several districts of Homs.
Homs-based activist Hadi Abdullah reported clashes and heavy shelling of Baba Amr but insisted that ground troops had not entered the neighborhood.
"Regime forces did not enter Baba Amr until this moment. They are surrounding the district, while clashes are concentrated in the neighborhoods of Inshaat and Malaab," he told AFP by telephone.
Abdullah said activists were "evacuating families because shelling has been targeting places that were considered safe in the past."
The arrival of the Fourth Armored Division, which is under the command of President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, was a likely prelude to a final assault, he added.
Rebel commanders said access to Homs was now completely blocked after regular troops blew up an underground aqueduct that had been the last viable route for smuggling of desperately needed supplies.
Abdullah added that power had been cut to most of the city, a measure he said was another sign of possible looming attack.
Efforts to bring out Le Figaro journalist Edith Bouvier, who is trapped inside Baba Amr with multiple fractures, intensified after her British colleague Paul Conroy was successfully smuggled out to Lebanon on Monday night.
"We expect the government in Damascus to put all the conditions in place for a safe and rapid evacuation, in particular an immediate ceasefire in Baba Amr," said French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero.
Thirteen Syrian activists were killed trying to help Bouvier and Conroy and to bring in aid to Baba Amr, international activist group Avaaz said.
Meanwhile, security forces killed 11 civilians in the province of Homs, the Local Coordination Committees said.
Elsewhere, three people were killed in Damascus' countryside, three in the southern province of Daraa, two in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, three in the northwestern province of Idlib, one in the central province of Hama and another in the coastal city of Latakia, the LCC said.
The Observatory said eight members of the security forces also died on Wednesday in clashes with rebel fighters and attacks in the Aleppo region in the north and Daraa in the south.
At the United Nations, diplomats said Washington had begun work on a new draft Security Council resolution demanding humanitarian access to besieged protest cities, such as Homs.
"This resolution will concentrate on humanitarian access to the cities, but it will indicate that the government is the cause of the crisis," one Security Council diplomat said.
Western nations hope that focusing on the humanitarian crisis will persuade Russia and China not to use their veto powers as permanent members of the 15-member council as they did against previous Western-drafted resolutions last October and again in early February.
The French foreign ministry spokesman said the new text calls for a halt to violence and "immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid to the most threatened sites and the most vulnerable populations."
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said: "I solemnly appeal to Russia and China that they do not block this new resolution at the Security Council."
Work on the new draft started after Arab and Western governments met for an inaugural Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis last week, diplomats said.
"We really hope that by concentrating on an appeal for an end to the violence and getting humanitarian access we can get the support of everyone, including Russia and China," said one Western envoy.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has told Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi that international humanitarian aid should be allowed into Syria, Chinese state media said.
"The international community should create favorable conditions in this regard and provide humanitarian aid to Syria," state news agency Xinhua quoted Yang as saying.
On Tuesday, Russia had urged Syria to cooperate with the Red Cross to allow the relief agency to deliver aid.
"It is important that the Syrian government cooperates with the International Committee of the Red Cross," said Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.
U.N. political chief B Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council "well over 7,500" people have been killed Syria since protests against Assad's regime erupted in March last year.
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem asked U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to clarify the precise objective of the mission entrusted to Kofi Annan, his predecessor who has been appointed as U.N. and Arab League envoy, according to ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdissi.
29 February 2012, 12:13
35
The Syrian Misrata won't give up. Je suis de tout cœur avec vous.
29 February 2012, 12:42
34
I had previously watched the first part of your documentary on the BBC. You seem to hold something against Muslims. Does hearing them say Allah ou Akbar disturb you? When you are desperate because your leader is a tyrant, you turn to God because he's your ultimate hope. Eventually, they'll shift away from him when the life-quality improves. The Security Forces you mention are 'moukhabarat'... i guess we have a divergence in vision... the spies are the main threat and not surprisingly, they have to be dealt with in times of war. Nobody forced them to remain the the building, they had the choice to flee or to join the so called Free Syrian Army.
29 February 2012, 13:38
11
khalas laken. ra7 y7otto idayon bi may berdeh hayda eza el jame3a ma jallado ba3d
01 March 2012, 11:04
00
FT. Anything you say, quickly the thumbs down rack up on you counter. M14 is the alleged voice of democracy. Imagine they are behind guns instead of computer screens.
29 February 2012, 13:02
53
both parties battling in homs were shelling us and killing us for 100 days in achrafieh in late 70s
i will not shead a tear on any of them but i wish them a long bloody civil war like the one they imposed on us
29 February 2012, 16:48
14
@achrafieh
I hear you, but you're confused... Syrian regime is something, the people is something else...
@mowaten
" i do have something against all religious extremists" ... so so I my friend, but you support Hezbollah... and they're not exactly moderate...:)
29 February 2012, 17:00
02
Oh yeah, the Lebanese civil war was started by the syrian government back in 1975, also the war in 1958, and all the fightings back in the 19th century. Wake up man, it's so easy to blame syrians, palestinians, americans and others for your mess. These other people just added to the mess, but the civil war started because of the weakeness and selfish Lebanese people who resorted to weapons to solve their differences. By the way, the syrians came to lerbanon invited by guess who: the christian militias and their leaders.
That's a fact and denying that is ignorance and blindness. For once, Lebanese should apologise to each other, admit they were wrong and recognise their mistakes. But it seems that apologising is considered a shame in this part of the world.
01 March 2012, 11:56
11
@Mowaten
Hezbollah… “the party of God”… a party inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini, a party that kills in the name of God, a party that trains suicide bombers, a party that call itself Islamic Resistance “Mukawama al islamiyya”, a party that calls for the total annihilation of a state (yes, total, women, children, elderly…total!), a party that puts up front its religious hatred (jews, sunni,…remember the Ann Frank diary episode on Al MAnar…), rather than its political hatred, a party that organizes assassinations (Iraq, Lebanon,Egypt,Argentina…), an organization that encourages martyrdom, that is the prime suspect in many assassinations cases, that resorts to intimidation, violence, and threats…
You call that “believers”…. Very nice of you… I call a believer a man who spreads good, tolerance, knowledge, generosity, humility… I guess our visions differ ya Mowaten…
29 February 2012, 13:59
16
homs is the strategic gate to the military russian base in tartous... lavrov told assad that it MUST be taken b4 the end of february, so the ground assault for the regime has to be today? STALINGRAD OR ST PETERSBOURG???????
29 February 2012, 14:11
53
No worries. Dr. Samir Abdel Latif and his sheep predicted that the regime... will fall, perhaps this year? or has fallen three and a half months ago? 46 Tuesdays ago? in 2005? in 2008? shall fall eventually? definitely? So everything going on now is just a side show and a passtime. Stay tuned and may God give you a long life to witness the great revelation of Dr. Abdel Latif come true.
29 February 2012, 17:57
30
just wait and see and we will laugh even more at you and you support for criminals...
29 February 2012, 22:42
00
A follower of Dr. Abdel Latif, the Dr. who has dragged the Christians from defeat to another bigger defeat and from collaborating with one enemy to collaborating with another enemy and who called the crazies who invaded and almost destroyed Achrafieh MINNINA, among other disasters thanks to his wrong timing, his wrong alliances and wrong strategies (if one can call them strategies) has the nerve to lecture others about who to support and who not to support. walla ba3d na2es hawdeh yetfalsafo wya3to mawa3ez!!!
29 February 2012, 15:22
00
nice movie...everything is possible.. a very high ranking delegation from the alawi regime visited ryad last week.. they are playing hassoun's head?????????ask moughnieh.
anyway the dictators were always at the service of the bedouin kingdoms.
29 February 2012, 16:07
11
flame thrower get out of that internet cafe in dahiye & get a job first then get a life. stop critisizing people I have been quiet for a long time & just reading but you annoy people. we had Ahbal before & his presence has been deminished, probably he is in tartous maybe you should follow him.
29 February 2012, 16:27
10
My fellow brother is Baath love-in , they should send them to Syrian prisons to join the Lebanese who dared oppose the magnificent Syrian regime .
NB : You boys get a room I'm be joining you soon .
Loud and proud yours - Le phenicien
29 February 2012, 16:55
01
more disinformation from naharnet, the revolt in syria was over three months ago when general michel aoun said it was and no more reliable a source than general michel aoun
29 February 2012, 17:10
02
3anjad 7aram!! iza d3amna walaw ma3nawiyan sha3eb 3am bi talib bel 7oriyi wel 3adeli serna 3am ned3am l salafiyin!? 3emlina fezay3a! deghri salafiyin w 2eslemiyin!! Lok ne7na l lebneniyi ma 2akalna 3azeb men heda l nizam? 3am bes2al sou2al la yalli 3am bidefi3 bi kel ta2ato 3an l nizam: moch 2ento ya shabeb li akalto atli men l nizam? ya 3ammi moch 2ehelna w 2ehelkoun yali t2azo men l nizam? moch 7oriyetna w 7oriyetkoun yali 3otdiya 3laya lama ken 3enna l nizam? moch 2a7zebna yalli nmana3it bi fe3el 7ekem l "nizam l wa7ad"?
tayib ma bi7e2 la jirana yen3amo bel 7oriyi wel 3adeli?
Wen l mabedi2 ya jame3a?
w khlessna fezay3at w salafiyin! (iza fi salafiyin heda men fe3el l nizam)
29 February 2012, 17:46
25
i wonder if dahiye rebelled against the lebanese gvt and the army shells itand kills women children if our proud bashars defenders would support the lebanese gvt...
double standards that s all these moralists have to offer...
29 February 2012, 19:21
33
Cannot believe you said that. When Israel was shelling Lebanon, you didn't care as long they would get rid of Hizballah. This is why the delay in stopping Israel. Give it a chance to finish the job.
29 February 2012, 21:46
22
who told you i didn t care except in your stupid comments...
this proves only the short sighted prejudiced guy you are, you and M8 = if you are against us it means you are with israel, poor thing you are...you just deserve my spite.
29 February 2012, 18:36
21
Did you discuss this "days are numbered" issue with you classmates at the Ecole des Clairvoyants du Dr. Samir Bourajfeh: Gabby, thepatriot, allouchi, peace, slash, relaist...? A la prochaine, charchour.
01 March 2012, 12:02
01
What's your theory exactly ya "Ringo"... Bashar is staying? He murdered thousands but...bahhhhh...never mind, the'll get over it and keep him in power??
And tell us why you like Bashar soo much... because all of the wonderful joys the Assad braught us: Torture, theft, assasinations, executions, destruction, prison... why ya zaki!?
29 February 2012, 18:17
01
bigdope is right if Israel is gone the Syrians will stop regarding Lebanon as part of Syria, and the dope keeps getting bigger and dopier.
PS: bigdope's clever comeback "but what about Syrian the embassy".. embassy or Anjar nothing changed.
29 February 2012, 18:24
10
GAME OVER, aka another out-of-this-world prediction from Dr. Kherfen Wmouderyen and his frafeet (Gabby, peace, thepatriot, slash dot net, realist, benazir, allouchi...) came true! Or did it? Hey guys, go find Walid Jumby, another great reader of events, APPARENTLY. No? Game Friggin Over!
29 February 2012, 18:32
01
now the show will begin on television with all the caputred fighters and who they are , and , and , and ......
29 February 2012, 18:58
00
humm.. why do so many people think this is all over, we've see this all before, it's been the standard Syria regime rhetoric for almost a year in Daraa, Hama, Homs, Deir Al Zor, Damacus ... but still the revolt continues.
29 February 2012, 21:00
10
Is it just me or do all the M8ers come to this site and comment in a feeble effort to do damage control for their actions. Most them seem like they do it for a living and go by more then one nickname. A desperate act by desperate people.Clearly they fear they fell they are loosing control and their end is in sight.
29 February 2012, 21:18
11
Hmm so you support Hizbollah which supports Hamas...hey did you know that Hamas is also a branch of the "muslim brotherhood", you're an idiot, the brotherhood is anything BUT extremists...the only extremists are the Hizbollah members who are attacking Beirut and who are stealing cars and kidnapping people on a daily basis...
01 March 2012, 00:01
23
Buddy...Mowaten... listen ...HOMS surrounded stupid... Assad Mukhabarat got trapped by very angry Homs Residents FSA ... To bad ... you missed the part were Assad forces killed 138 people and buried in that video you missed the long line up for bread because Assad has blocked off the City... God!!!! Watch the Movie properly again man. You seriously want me to say poor Mukhabarat who are blocked off from the rest of the syrian Army... Mowaten Your sick in the way you perceive the reality in Syria, Poor Army, Poor Assad NOOO!!!... Syria Belongs to the Syrian People not to the one or the few... What you really should say Poor Syrian People man, They are the true victims...
01 March 2012, 04:52
00
When the people are determined to be free no millitary can stop them.
Evidence of this is in Lebanon and every land gripped by evil.
01 March 2012, 10:39
12
well i beleive that it is exactly what is happening in Syria that creates extremism and terrorism the lack of democracy creates an ill society was it easy for the opposition to meet in coffee places, they wouldn't have taken shields in mosks because hunger affects everyone even christians. Now the remedy of extremism is government. When Hezbollah arrived to goverment he was seen as a holly party, now it is just like any other party, one of woes, mistakes and failures and soon will face what any other party face, ELECTIONS. Maybe he will get away with it this time but the party is losing momentum for sure.
