Massacre' feared brewing in Syrian city
Syria's leading opposition movement warned Friday of an impending government "massacre" designed to crush activists in the city of Homs, which has emerged as a center of anti-regime unrest.
The Syrian National Council said military troops and vehicles had surrounded the western city and thousands of troops were manning more than 60 checkpoints just inside the city.
"These are all signs of a security crackdown operation that may reach the level of a total invasion of the city," the council said in a news release. It said that a "massive number of casualties" could occur.
"Evidence received from reports, videos and information obtained by activists on the ground in Homs indicate that the regime is paving the way to commit a massacre in order to extinguish the revolution in Homs and to discipline, by example, other Syrian cities that have joined the revolution," the council said.
At least 17 people were killed Friday in Homs and at least 29 were killed elsewhere across Syria, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition group. It said women, children and dissident soldiers were among the dead.
The United Nations said last week that more than 4,000 people have died in Syria since a government crackdown against protesters erupted in mid-March. The regime's actions have outraged world powers and sparked sanctions by the Arab League, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
The council said the Bashar al-Assad regime is "driving violent sectarian incidents to justify this potential murder." More than 30 corpses -- all thought to be victims of sectarian violence -- were found Monday in Homs.
The city of Homs is in a province of the same name. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria says it is the "amalgamation of the national Syria identity combined: urban, country, and Bedouin."
It says "Muslims in Homs are Sunni, Alawite, Ismaelis and Druze. Christian in Homs are Orthodox and Catholic." The city also includes Kurds, Armenians and Turkmens, the LCC says.
Sunnis make up the majority of the country and Alawites hold sway in the military and government.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-09/...ordination-committees-bashar?_s=PM:MIDDLEEAST
Syria's leading opposition movement warned Friday of an impending government "massacre" designed to crush activists in the city of Homs, which has emerged as a center of anti-regime unrest.
The Syrian National Council said military troops and vehicles had surrounded the western city and thousands of troops were manning more than 60 checkpoints just inside the city.
"These are all signs of a security crackdown operation that may reach the level of a total invasion of the city," the council said in a news release. It said that a "massive number of casualties" could occur.
"Evidence received from reports, videos and information obtained by activists on the ground in Homs indicate that the regime is paving the way to commit a massacre in order to extinguish the revolution in Homs and to discipline, by example, other Syrian cities that have joined the revolution," the council said.
At least 17 people were killed Friday in Homs and at least 29 were killed elsewhere across Syria, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition group. It said women, children and dissident soldiers were among the dead.
The United Nations said last week that more than 4,000 people have died in Syria since a government crackdown against protesters erupted in mid-March. The regime's actions have outraged world powers and sparked sanctions by the Arab League, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
The council said the Bashar al-Assad regime is "driving violent sectarian incidents to justify this potential murder." More than 30 corpses -- all thought to be victims of sectarian violence -- were found Monday in Homs.
The city of Homs is in a province of the same name. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria says it is the "amalgamation of the national Syria identity combined: urban, country, and Bedouin."
It says "Muslims in Homs are Sunni, Alawite, Ismaelis and Druze. Christian in Homs are Orthodox and Catholic." The city also includes Kurds, Armenians and Turkmens, the LCC says.
Sunnis make up the majority of the country and Alawites hold sway in the military and government.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-09/...ordination-committees-bashar?_s=PM:MIDDLEEAST
