Syria Update, October 14, 2012 (Institute of Middle Eastern, Islamic and Strategic Studies. By Sherifa Zuhur)
Early death toll: 140 Syrians killed today.
Saturday’s revised death toll: More than 190 Syrians killed.
Aleppo province: A sniper killed 1 civilian from the Sakhour neighborhood in the Bab Hadid neighborhood and a sniper killed 1 in the Salaheddin neighborhood. Clashes took place in Arqoub and Karm al-Jabal and the Syrian military shelled the old neighbourhoods, al-Sha`ar, Ein Tel, B’eidin, al-Haydariyya, al-Intharat, Majreh and Tariq al-Bab. Clashes took place in al-Masharqa. The Syrian military took control of the Ummayad mosque (shown burning in videos) after violent clashes with the opposition, followed by the opposition’s retreat.
The Syrian military shelled the towns of al-Bab, Eran, Kaljebran, Tadef and the rural parts of al-Muhandisin. Violent clashes took place near the al-Nayrab military airport.
Damascus province: The Syrian military shelled al-Qadam killing 1 child. An IED explosion targeted the car of a lawyer in the al-Mazza neighbourhood. 100 bodies were discovered in a hospital located between Al-Mu’addamiyyah and Daraya. The Syrian authorities tortured to death one civilian from Jdeidat Artouz and the other was detained for a week and then shot. The Syrian military shelled the town of Hamouriyya killing 4 and shelled the city of Duma and the towns of A’rbin, Mesraba and those of al-Ghouta al-Sharqiyya.
Dara`a province: The Syrian military bombarded the towns of Heit, Um al-Mayathin and Naseeb . Violent clashes took place by the highway next to the town of Mahja, 1 soldier was killed and several military vehicles were destroyed. The Syrian military raided the town of Mahja, summarily executed 4 men there and burned houses. The Syrian military shelled the towns of Oum Walad and al-Na’ima. Heavy clashes took place between the Syrian military and opposition fighters in Tafs.
Deir az-Zur province: A rocket hit the Shaykh Yasin neighborhood of Deir az-Zur and shrapnel from that rocket killed an elderly man. Clashes occurred in Sheikh Yasin and near the al-Madalji roundabout.
Hama province: The Syrian military carried out raids and arrested civilians in the Kazo neighborhood of Hama.
A civilian from the village of Hurbanafsa was shot.
Homs province: The neighborhood of Jawbar was targeted today in an explosives barrage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOKR_RRLsNY
Unknown gunmen targeted a bus transporting workers on the Homs al-Mashrafa road near the village of Zeidal, killing one work and badly injuring 4 others..
Idlib province: The Syrian military retreated from a checkpoint near the radio broadcasting center at the outskirts of Saraqeb after the opposition took control of the oil factory’s checkpoint. The Syrian military killed 2 women and a child in shelling on the city of Ariha and clashes took place there. Clashes near the al-Duweila air defense base resulted in the death of an opposition leader. The Syrian military shelled Heish, Saraqeb, Ariha, Khan Shaikhoun, Kafrou’id, Ein Lazur, Ma`aret al-Nu`man and M’arshamsha.
Latakia province: The Syrian opposition has taken control of the al-Nabi Younis mountain near Latakia.
Raqqah province: The Syrian military conducted a prisoner swap, releasing 2 detainees who had been condemned to death for the killing of the son of Dr. Ali Shu`aybi.
International: Human Rights Watch has accused the Assad government of using cluster bombs. Cluster bombs have been banned by many nations. They have been widely used in Syria, for example in last week’s targeting of the Ma`arat al-Nu`man area. They are also being dropped by the Syrian military on the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Latakia. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1015/1224325259245.html
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi presented an unofficial but detailed proposal to UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on a way to solve the Syrian crisis. Salehi made general comments on Arabic-language television.
Lebanese and Syrian supporters of Bashar al-Assad held a rally in Beirut to thank Russia and China for supporting Assad, carrying posters that stated “Thank you Russia” and “Lebanon forever with Assad’s Syria.” The demonstrators chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia and Qatar and waved the flags of Iran and Hizbullah. Later, a protest was held against the Syrian regime by the supporters of Shaykh Ahmed al-Assir. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/lebanese-hold-rallies-for-and-against-syria-regime/story-e6frg6so-1226496104453
Turkey has banned Syrian civilian aircraft from its air space as a result of the incident in which Russian-made ammunition was detected on a civilian flight. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/10/14/uk-syria-crisis-idUKBRE89B0XJ20121014
Jordan plans to set up a new refugee camp west of the capital, in the Mriget al-Fuhud area to house Syrian refugees. There are already 85,000 registered refugees and about 200,000 refugees in total from Syria now in Jordan. The new camp will relieve congestion in the Zaatari refugee camp.
The Israeli army has designated some territory near the border with Syria as an area for refugee outflow and the security buffer zone has been widened near Majdal al-Shams.
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