Rebels Seize Syria Town on Iraq Border, Shoot Down Two Warplanes in Idlib

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Syrian rebels from the Islamist al-Nusra Front on Thursday seized the town of Shadadeh in the oil-rich northeastern province of Hasake, on the border with Iraq, a monitoring group said.

"After three days of fierce battles against the army, al-Nusra Front fighters have seized control of Shadadeh," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers for its reporting.

Fighting and car bomb attacks by the jihadists left more than 100 troops dead in three days, during which 30 al-Nusra Front fighters also died, five of whom were from Kuwait, said the Observatory.

"Dozens of employees" working for the state oil company were also killed in the rebel assault on the town, said the watchdog, without elaborating.

Further west, pro-regime media on Thursday admitted the army's loss to Islamist fighters of Base 80, a strategic army complex tasked with securing the nearby Aleppo international airport and military airports in the area.

"The army is preparing to retake control of Base 80," al-Watan daily said, adding that "hundreds of armed men" were killed in fighting over the complex.

The Syrian rebels also shot down two military warplanes over the northwestern province of Idlib, said a monitoring group on Thursday.

Both jets were hit with fire from heavy machineguns while the air force was carrying out a series of raids in the area, much of which is under the control of the rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Elsewhere in the strife-torn country, the army made its own military advance, seizing a key district in the central city of Homs after several weeks of fierce fighting, said the Observatory.

"The army has entered Jobar in western Homs, and rebel fighters have withdrawn from the district," said the group's director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The victory comes a week after the army took control of Kafraya, also in southwestern Homs.

Activist refer to Homs city as "the capital of the revolution" and several of its districts have been suffocated by a siege for some eight months.

On January 19, the army launched an all-out bid to secure the route linking Damascus to the coast, which runs through western Homs but has so far failed to take complete control.

In violence elsewhere in Homs province, the air force bombarded "for the 10th day in a row" the ancient city of Palmyra, activist Mohammed al-Khatib told Agence France Presse via the Internet.

Warplanes also raided the nearby town of Rastan, which has been out of the control of the army for at least a year, said the Observatory.

"Homs province is strategic to the regime because it is the largest in the country and because it links Damascus to the coast," said Abu Rawan, a Rastan-based activists.

"The army will do all it can to take back rebel-controlled territory," he added.

Comments 11
Missing mohammad_ca 14 February 2013, 18:37

Long Live the Free Syrian Army

Thumb curious_canadian 15 February 2013, 05:48

what about Jabhat al Nusra?

Missing mohammad_ca 15 February 2013, 09:09

what about hizbocrap? the ASSad shabbiha? Iran's "revolutionary" guards?

Thumb chrisrushlau 14 February 2013, 18:55

Lebanon joins Qatar and Saudi Arabia in inviting all Sunni jihadis to go to Syria and die there. The US and EU ask only that they die without killing any white people. Israel has a special this week on anti-aircraft missiles.

Missing realist 14 February 2013, 19:57

and you are inviting them to come to Lebanon thanks to nasrala and his jihad I duties. the majority of Arabs are sunis and you need to make peace with them not war.

Missing mohammad_ca 14 February 2013, 20:00

hizbocrap is transporting maniacs to go get killed, the Syrians are freeing their country.

Missing realist 14 February 2013, 19:59

the rehime newspapers confess today about the losses in aleppo including the death of the leader and deputy of their 80 the brigade in charge of protecting the airport in aleppo, read alwatan newspaper

Missing mohammad_ca 14 February 2013, 19:59

yes yes because the ASSad regime ONLY operates in Syria and not in Lebanon ma hek?

Missing realist 14 February 2013, 19:59

If Assad was not the guardian of Israel United States would have taken him down 2 years ago wake up brainwashed

Missing greatpierro 14 February 2013, 22:17

What dont you mention iranaen weapons and soldiers?

Missing helicopter 15 February 2013, 04:26

F.T., regarding the Flag Logo, I wish neither Hezb nor FSA would brandish such flags, however as a Lebanese I am concerned only with the Hezb Flag (as I consider the FSA one is none of my business).
Regarding the radicals taking over Syria, The Assads had 5 decades to make their Government more inclusive and turn it over to the Nationalist and moderate Syrians, but that they did not do. And since it is difficult for peace loving moderates to use force against Government radicals, the job is left to those who thrive on killing and hence the Nusra and their likes.
My fear is the same will happen in Lebanon. If Hezb insists on being the lone ranger in Lebanon with heavy weapons, eventually the Lebamese society will radicalize against them and the Syrian story will be repeated in Lebanon......... everyone will lose of course, but the moderates will be vanquished the most as they do not like to kill.