Syrian troops ‘in fresh assaults’

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

by admin

11 August 2011 Last updated at 10:17 ET

Syrian police cars are seen after a week-long military assault in Hama city

Large-scale operations by the army in Hama and Deir al-Zour have drawn international condemnation

Syrian security forces have reportedly killed seven civilians in a town in the province of Homs, as the authorities try to quell protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

Communications and electricity in Kassir were reported to be cut off.

Security forces are carrying out mass arrests, opposition activists and residents also said.

The violence comes a day after the US Treasury imposed sanctions targeting the financial resources of Mr Assad.

The new measures being taken are against Syria’s main commercial bank and its mobile phone operator.

Under-Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said the US was “taking aim at the financial infrastructure that is helping provide support to Assad and his regime’s illicit activities”.

The move has fuelled expectation that the Obama administration will soon formally call for President Assad to step down.

The White House has so far stopped short, only going as far as to say that Syria would be a “better place without Assad”.

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White House spokesperson Jay Carney: “Syria would be better off without President Assad”

where in Syria, there are reports that the army has gained control of the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, close to the Iraq border.

In recent days, large-scale operations by the army in Deir al-Zour and also the central city of Hama have drawn international condemnation, with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait recalling their ambassadors from Damascus.

International journalists face severe restrictions reporting in Syria, and it is hard to verify reports.

More than 1,700 people have died and tens of thousands of people have reportedly been arrested since the uprising against the Assad family’s 41-year rule began in March.

Mr Assad has reiterated promises of political reform, while remaining adamant his government would continue to pursue the “terrorist groups” he has blamed for the unrest.

: Syria’s anti-government protests, inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, first erupted in mid-March after the arrest of a group of teenagers who spray-painted a revolutionary slogan on a wall. The protests soon spread, and human rights activists and opposition groups say 1,700 people have died in the turmoil, while thousands more have been injured.

: Although the arrest of the teenagers in the southern city of Deraa first prompted people to take to the streets, unrest has since spread to other areas, including Hama, Homs, Latakia, Jisr al-Shughour and Baniyas. Demonstrators are demanding greater freedom, an end to corruption, and, increasingly, the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.

: President Assad’s government has responded to the protests with overwhelming military force, sending tanks and troops into at least nine towns and cities. In Deraa and Homs – where protests have persisted ? amateur video footage shows tanks firing on unarmed protesters, while snipers have been seen shooting at residents venturing outside their homes.

: Some of the bloodiest events have taken place in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour. In early June, officials claimed 120 security personnel were killed by armed gangs, however protesters said the dead were shot by troops for refusing to kill demonstrators. As the military moved to take control of the town, thousands fled to neighbouring Turkey, taking refuge in camps.

: Although the major cities of Damascus and Aleppo have seen pockets of unrest and some protests, it has not been widespread – due partly to a heavy security presence. There have been rallies in the capital – one with an enormous Syrian flag – in support of President Assad, who still receives the backing of many in Syria’s middle class, business elite and minority groups.

: The Assad family has been in power for 40 years, with Bashar al-Assad inheriting office in 2000. The president has opened up the economy, but has continued to jail critics and control the media. He is from the minority Alawite sect – an offshoot of Shia Islam ? but the country’s 20 million people are mainly Sunni. The biggest protests have been in Sunni-majority areas.

: Although the US and EU have condemned the violence and imposed sanctions, the UN Security Council has been unable to agree on a response. Some fear the country could descend into civil war if the government collapsed, while others believe chaos in Syria ? with its strategic location and its web of regional alliances – could destabilise the entire Middle East.