Rebels kill 16 troops in Syria
25 Jun 2012 1:29 AM GMT
Syrian rebels killed at least 16 troops in a string of clashes at daybreak on Sunday, in another setback for President Bashar al-Assad's regime, as violence reached new heights, a watchdog reported.
'The clashes happened almost simultaneously at dawn' in the northern province of Aleppo, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP. The fighting occurred in the town of Dara Aza, and at checkpoints near the town of Al-Atarib and village of Kafr Halab, the Britain-based group said.
The Observatory said some soldiers defected after an attack on an artillery battalion also in Aleppo, taking with them a large amount of weapons. 'This is one of the bloodiest weeks in the conflict,' Abdel Rahman said.
According to the Observatory, 94 people were killed in Syria on Monday, 62 on Tuesday, 88 on Wednesday, 168 on Thursday, 116 on Friday and 116 on Saturday. 'It's like we are in a war,' Abdel Rahman said.
'Sometimes when two countries are at war, not even 20 people are killed a day. But now in Syria it has become normal to have 100 killed each day.' The mounting toll was a result of the international community's inability to resolve the crisis, he said.
'The UN observers have suspended their mission and this is a very bad decision. They are just staying in Syria and not going out to observe,' said Abdel Rahman.
'The clashes happened almost simultaneously at dawn' in the northern province of Aleppo, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP. The fighting occurred in the town of Dara Aza, and at checkpoints near the town of Al-Atarib and village of Kafr Halab, the Britain-based group said.
The Observatory said some soldiers defected after an attack on an artillery battalion also in Aleppo, taking with them a large amount of weapons. 'This is one of the bloodiest weeks in the conflict,' Abdel Rahman said.
According to the Observatory, 94 people were killed in Syria on Monday, 62 on Tuesday, 88 on Wednesday, 168 on Thursday, 116 on Friday and 116 on Saturday. 'It's like we are in a war,' Abdel Rahman said.
'Sometimes when two countries are at war, not even 20 people are killed a day. But now in Syria it has become normal to have 100 killed each day.' The mounting toll was a result of the international community's inability to resolve the crisis, he said.
'The UN observers have suspended their mission and this is a very bad decision. They are just staying in Syria and not going out to observe,' said Abdel Rahman.
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