Syrian Observatory: Dozens of Rebels, Troops Killed in North Syria Battle
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A ferocious battle on the outskirts of the northern city of Raqa, near the Turkish border, killed dozens of Syrian troops and rebel fighters on Saturday, a watchdog reported.
"Fierce clashes pitting rebel fighters from several battalions against regular troops have raged since dawn on the outskirts of Raqa city," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"Army troops shelled several city neighbourhoods, as well as the outskirts, while the clashes left dozens of troops and rebels dead," the Britain-based group said without giving exact numbers.
"Explosions could be heard in the city, and towers of smoke could be seen rising into the sky.
Both the Observatory and activists in Raqa said the army was using helicopters to strafe rebels in some parts of the city, in a rare escalation of violence in the provincial capital.
Raqa city is strategically located near Syria's northern border with Turkey. Residents say it has become home to thousands of people forced to flee their homes in other war-torn parts of Syria.
"A large number of people were forced by mortar attacks on their district to flee their homes in the Masaken Shuhada area" of the city, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"Because of the large number of civilians who have sought shelter in Raqa from other parts of Syria, the rebel Free Syrian Army had an agreement not to assault the city," he told Agence France Presse.
"Saturday's battle was a rare but intense escalation."
02 March 2013, 11:19
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Very frustrating. Is there an end for this? They toppled Saddam in Iraq a decade ago, still they have serious problems.
02 March 2013, 12:17
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No end unless foreign powers decide that hey maybe we should've just left it be! so i challenge anyone please tell me what exactly was really wrong with Syria before all this? was there corruption? sure but i know there is more or equal amount of corruption in "democratic" countries all over the world including mine than there was in Syria, but lets not kid ourselves here, this is no war about Syrian Democracy or anything else, this is a war to get to Iran and to run oil pipelines as they see fit through the region anyone who thinks otherwise is either really very naive or has been living under a rock throughout the history of humanity, I know many sheep in this country have otherwise we wouldn't have voted for the same corrupt leaders who make Bashar look like a saint over and over again.
02 March 2013, 16:07
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Who are they,JC,You mean WE don't you? Libya is a better example ,more recent and wait until the Libyan Mercenaries , Some of who are leading the battle at the front in Syria, Wait till they get back to Libya and have a homecoming party, Peace and love for years to come, so don't get discoraged.This will be around for at least a decade. Heck we haven't even attacked Iran yet and Isreal will probably attack Hezbollah within a year so there will be plenty to read about on Naharnet at lots of idiotic omments posted here ad infinitum ,Present company excluded of course.
