Syrian Revolution Daily Round-up Day 626: Thurs. 29-Nov-12

Regime shuts down Damascus airport, commits massacres in Aleppo

Damascus International Airport during Assad’s presidency renewal campaign in 2007

• Heavy fighting broke out near Damascus International Airport forcing its closure.
• Syria’s international Internet connectivity shut down.
• Aleppo witnessed one of its bloodiest days in the 20-month uprising.

• Zebdiya, Aleppo: Regime airstrike kills and injures dozens of people; most of them are children, P2, P3
• Homs: Abducted Ukrainian journalist Ankhar Kochneva says that she worked for Russian intelligence
• Hama: A group of rebel battalions unite under a new brigade

Today’s Statistics

• Death Toll: 99 including 23 children, 4 women and 20 rebel fighters (Aleppo: 54, Damascus and Suburbs: 15, Daraa: 9, Idlib: 7, Deir Azzour: 6, Hama: 4, Homs: 3, Raqa: 1)
• Number of areas shelled: +198
• Regime Soldiers Death Toll: +38
• Number of People Wounded: +60
• Number of People Detained: +15
• FSA Key Operations:
  • Shot down two fighter jets in Idlib and Aleppo.
  • Seized control of two air defense bases in Aleppo.
  • Seized control of two military bases in the suburb of Damascus.
  • Attacked the Deir Azzour airbase and destroyed three armored vehicles.

Summary of Events

Regime forces carried out a major security operation in the opposition-held areas surrounding Damascus international airport in the suburbs of Damascus, mainly in the provincial towns of Aqraba and Bait Sahem, prompting violent clashes with the rebels who also fired mortar shells into a military barrack stationed in the town of Haran Awamid, 5km east of the airport.

The violence has forced the closure of the airport and suspension of all flights, while Dubai’s Emirates airline as well as Egypt Air announced that they’re indefinitely suspending all flights to and from the Syrian capital for security reasons. Moreover, all employees at the airport were asked to leave until further notice as the state news media reported that the airport was closed for maintenance.

Activists also reported that the regime instructed the 9th and 5th military divisions in Daraa as well as the 15th division in Suwaida to move into Damascus to support its battered forces amid fears that more massacres could be committed against unarmed civilians.

Internet service was cut off for the first in the entire country today while both cellphone and telephone services were also partially down. Renesys, a U.S.-based technology company that monitors Internet networks, reported that starting at 10:26 UTC (12:26pm in Damascus), Syria’s international Internet connectivity shut down. Electricity was also cut off in the entire suburbs of Damascus as well as in its southern neighbourhoods. Activists warned that the Assad regime might be planning to escalate its crackdown against the rebels-held areas.

The rebels seized control of two air defense bases in the suburbs of Aleppo, one near the village of Abtin in the south and another in the east. They also seized control of a military base in the suburb of Damascus.

Activists said that rebel fighters seized more than 6000 cooking gas cylinders in Aleppo city and distributed them among the neighborhoods they control.

Regime forces shelled as many as 198 different areas today. They fired mortar shells on more than 74 areas while their heavy artillery pounded more than 56 others. Some 51 areas came under rocket shelling and four more were bombarded by barrel bombs. Fighter jets bombarded more than ten areas of which four are said to have been shelled by thermobaric bombs thus causing extensive damage to residential buildings and leaving scores of people dead and injured.

At least 54 people died in Aleppo and its suburbs today, 20 of whom were killed in an airstrike that leveled three buildings to the ground and left 40 more people critically wounded. Some nine children and two women were among the fatalities. Ten more people were reported dead today after yesterday’s airstrike on the Aleppo suburb of Menbej. Meanwhile, ten rebel fighters were killed during clashes with regime forces in the Liramon district near Aleppo city.

Regime airstrikes also killed seven people in the Damascus suburb of Daraya and two more in Douma. Today’s death toll in Damascus and its suburbs is the lowest in months.

For the third day in a row, the Daraa suburb of Tafas has been subjected to a major military campaign as hundreds of troops backed by military tanks carried out arson, looting and summary executions, leaving at least six people dead.

Today’s death toll reached 99, including 23 children and four women as well as 20 rebel fighters. At least 60 people were also injured.

 
Videos

Armed Resistance
Homs: A group of security personnel defect to the rebels’ side
Ghariya Sharqiya, Daraa: Rebel fighters set up checkpoints to prevent regime infiltration
Aleppo Suburb: Rebels detain a pilot after shooting down his fighter jet
Damascus Suburb: Rebel fighters storm a military base

Damascus                      
Southern Damascus: Helicopter gunships bombard the southern neighborhoods
Jobar: Regime forces bombard the neighborhood
Kafarsouseh: Regime forces bombard the groves of Kafarsouseh and Daraya, P2
shelling

Damascus Suburbs
Aqraba: The devastating aftermath of the fierce shelling
Bibila: Despite being critically injured, a man vow to take revenge over Assad
Bowayda: The towns’ main mosque bombarded by regime forces
Erbin: Buildings set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling, P2
Daraya: Regime airstrikes kill and injure many people

Aleppo
Karm al-Baik: Drinking water pipes damaged due to the regime shelling
Bustan Basha: Regime shells target an old age hospital
Al-Bab Road: Emerging epidemics due to the absence of municipal services
Masaken Hananon: The neighborhood’s culture centre destroyed by regime shells

Aleppo Suburbs
Al-Bab: Homes set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling
Menbej: Regime barrel bombs leave many people dead and wounded, P2
Deir Hafer: Regime airstrikes cause extensive material damage

Homs
Houleh: Humanitarian conditions worsen due to the months-long siege
Talbiseh: A man get injured after been hit by a shrapnel
Qusayr: Funeral procession of fallen hero Abdul-Aziz Ahmad
Qusour: The devastating aftermath of the violent shelling

Daraa
Mzereib: The residents burry their deaths
Tafas: A child shot dead by a sniper
Herak: Regime forces open fire indiscriminately on civilians
Sahari: Clouds of smoke billow from the town following the heavy shelling

Hama
Aleppo Road: In-school demonstration demands the overthrow of the regime
Arbaeen: Regime forces bombard the village

Idlib
Habeit: Demonstrators vow to avenge regime massacres
Bennesh: Helicopter gunship bombards the town
Mhambel: The devastating aftermath of the fierce shelling
Kansafra: The remnants of the ordnances used against civilian areas, P2
Kafaroweid: The devastating aftermath of the fierce shelling

Deir Azzour
Central City: Activists show unexploded barrel bomb
Mowathafin: Regime warplanes bombard the neighborhood
Arfi: Mass destruction caused by the regime airstrikes
Al-Jubaila: Mass destruction caused by the indiscriminate daily shelling
Husainiya: Clouds of smoke billow from the village following the heavy shelling

Hasaka
Salhiya: Protesters demand the overthrow of the regime
Ras al-Ain: Rebel fighters run the towns’ bakery and distribute the bread
Tal Halaf: Regime forces bombard the grain stockpiles

Latakia
Ramel Janoubi: People suffer the shortage of bread supplies
Salma: Regime helicopters drop barrel bombs on the area

Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Spain: Sit-in in solidarity with the people of Syria

Source