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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syrian troops kill 12 in anti-Assad protests |
| 2011-09-16 |
| Syrian forces gunned down 12 people on Friday and deployed heavily in rural areas around Damascus to try to thwart the protests against Assad which have shaken the country for six months. Despite the deployment, activists reported demonstrations on the outer edges of the capital, the northern province of Idlib bordering Turkey and other parts of Syria, waving banners saying they were "on course to bring down the regime". State television broadcast an interview on Thursday night with one of the most prominent military deserters, recanting claims made when he defected and saying he had never been ordered to fire on protesters. It was not clear how Lieutenant-Colonel Hussein Harmoush, who announced his desertion in June, ended up back in Damascus. Turkey's foreign ministry said it did not hand him over to Syrian authorities, adding it would be out of the question to return anyone against their will. Activists said most of Friday's killings occurred around the city of Hama and in Jabal al-Zawiya, a rugged region near Turkey. Protesters were also killed on the edge of Damascus, including a 12-year-old boy, and in Homs. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 Yawn, yawn |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-09-16 11:31 |