At Least 42 Dead as Syria Protesters Rally against Russia
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Forty-two people were killed across Syria on Friday, including security force members, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, as anti-regime protesters took to the streets under the banner of "Russia is killing our children."
At least 20 died in in the central protest hub of Homs, among them two children killed by shelling in the Baba Amr neighborhood, the Observatory said.
For its part, the Local Coordination Committees, the main activist group spurring protests on the ground, said security forces killed 34 people across the country, including five children and two women.
Twelve people were killed in the northern province of Aleppo, 10 in Homs, eight in the Damascus suburb of al-Damir, three in the southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the 11-month uprising, and one in the eastern protest hub of Deir al-Zour, the LCC said.
Security forces deployed heavily outside mosques nationwide, firing on worshippers in some areas to prevent protesters from taking to the streets, activists said.
"Demonstrations broke out in various parts of the country, but they were small in numbers because of the heavy deployment of army and security forces as well as the cold weather," said Observatory chief Rami Abdul Rahman.
"In some areas the number of intelligence agents was so high that they outnumbered worshippers. A lot of people held smaller demos in side streets."
In Homs, tanks stormed a flashpoint district as troops launched a house-to-house sweep to crush regime opponents, Abdul Rahman said.
"The tanks entered the neighborhood of Inshaat overnight," he said.
Inshaat is next to the protest hub of Baba Amr, which has been subjected to a withering assault by regime forces since Saturday that has killed more than 400 people, activists say.
Internet-based activists had urged protests under the banner of "Russia is killing our children."
But Moscow said Syria's opposition "bears full responsibility" for the ongoing violence, while accusing the West of pushing regime opponents into armed conflict.
Russia has insisted that any solution to end the bloodshed must come from within Syria.
Despite mounting calls for military aid to outgunned and outnumbered rebels in Syria, Arab and Western governments have so far resisted such a possibility.
Among initiatives being considered by nations eager to end the bloodshed is a joint Arab League-U.N. mission to Syria, the prospects for which could hinge on a weekend meeting of the Arab bloc, and the backing of major powers.
The opposition Syrian National Council said, meanwhile, that it expects to be recognized by several Arab states within days. So far only post-revolt Libya has recognized the umbrella group as its sole Syrian interlocutor.
10 February 2012, 15:36
16
Mowaten, Most people think that in view of Media blackout imposed by Syrian Regime, these people are doing a good job depicting the reality of the situation
But hey, you are free to beleive Nasrallah version of reality, where there is nothing going on in Homs....Residents are enjoying the peace & quiet atmosphere there, birds chriping, Parents are doing their daily Yoga practice in the parks, children riding their bicycles, and Iranian pilgrims visiting the sights of the city.
10 February 2012, 19:35
00
Mowaten - some journalist were granted access on condition of being escorted at all time by gov moukhabarat, so of course they won't see a thing except the gov version of things
10 February 2012, 15:46
16
so you still believe that the syrian army is defending itself by circling homs and the bad ones are the syrian people who all started this rebellion peacefully... what about your one sided view? lol
10 February 2012, 16:33
24
What he meant by Peacefully mowaten is that it started with three teenager kids writing anti Assad graffiti who ended up being tortured for a week by Assad moukhabarat, and parent + relatives + friends demonstrated for freeing the Kids, only to be met by security forces shooting at them to disperse them.
10 February 2012, 15:46
13
I know. It's all lies. The Assad regime is peaceful and doesn't kill innocent people. All the atrocities committed since 1976 in Lebanon and Syria are the work of the CIA and their bootlickers.
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee." - Pulp Fiction
10 February 2012, 15:49
15
but as usual the whole world community (even india and south africa who usually never back UN resolutions to interfere in countries but this time they did!) denouncing this bloodshed by the syrian regime is wrong but syria iran and its russian allies are right! lol
better start by asking yourself questions mowaten i-know-all!
10 February 2012, 16:55
11
hope the arab spring blossom in all arab countries especially the gulf kingdoms and emirates
10 February 2012, 18:14
00
@mowaten: you're a joke, no matter what political party you are affiliated with in Lebanon you must realize the amount of lies that the Syrian government spews from the days of the Lebanese war and the occupation of Lebanon. You believe that now they have become saints and that all this is terrorists? The revolution started with unarmed civilians marching and protesting, they were shot, killed, imprisoned and tortured(including many children), is it any surprise that they are now trying to defend themselves with guns? Not to mention that most of the opposition fighters are soldiers that switched sides. You remind me of Qaddafi with your delusions of Al Qaeda terrorists and hallucinogens in coffee.
10 February 2012, 18:46
00
Why doesn't ASSad even let Russian, and Chinese news reporters in?
ASSad thinks he can stop the protests by killing worshippers? He is done. He is also making the economy worse which will also bring him down.
10 February 2012, 21:28
03
heard the news? hezb buried in tyre two of their members killed in ....syria...
certainly on pilgrimage
10 February 2012, 22:36
50
the filthy zionist media terrorists are still very active on syrian media front, but i can already see signs of decreased activity meaning they are slowly surrendering like they did in case of STL
10 February 2012, 23:29
00
The Russians will be swimming in cold water soon enough. They are screwed in the region. Das vidanya from the middle east Ruskie boy.
11 February 2012, 05:48
00
Regardless of whose media it is, the fact is this is the 21st Century and dictatorships got to go. No family/sect has the right to oppress and steal the riches of a nation. The middle East must get out off the dark ages and move forward. The brain drain must be reversed and displace the empty minds the regimes of the area thrive on.
