Rebels declare Damascus Airport a battle zone
Syrian aircraft surrounded by military trucks while unloading its cargo in Damascus International Airport
- The rebels warned civilians and international airline that they should stay away of Damascus airport.
- The rebel FSA forms a Supreme Military Council.
- At least 50 charred bodies were discovered in Deir Azzour, a human rights watch dog said.
- East Ghouta, Damascus Suburb: Rebel fighters storm a training camp that allegedly belongs to Hezbollah, documents show names and addresses of more than 11 fighters
- Jubaila, Deir Azzour: A number of charred bodies that belong to unarmed civilians discovered in a house
- Damascus Suburb: Rebel fighters fire locally-made missiles into Damascus Airport
Today’s Statistics
- Death Toll: 85 including 6 women, 2 children and 25 rebel fighters (Damascus and Suburbs: 41, Aleppo: 9, Daraa: 9, Idlib: 8, Deir Azzor: 7, Hama: 5, Homs: 2, Hasaka: 2, Latakia: 1, Raqa: 1)
- Number of areas shelled: +237
- Regime Soldiers Death Toll: +25
- Number of People Wounded: +40
- Number of People Detained: +12
- FSA Key Operations:
- Stormed a military checkpoint in the neighbourhood of Tadamon in Damascus.
- Destroyed a number of military tanks near the Damascus suburbs of Daraya, Zabadani and Moadamiya
- Continued attacks on two airbases in Deir Azzour and Aleppo.
Summary of Events
Rebel fighters declared Damascus International Airport a battle zone and warned both civilians and airline companies that they should stay away of it. This comes as part of the rebels’ strategy to take on the country’s main airport and following confirmed reports that civil airplanes are used to transport weapons to Assad’s army.
The rebels have fired locally-made missiles into the airport as fighting continued along the airport’s 20 km road and nearby towns for the 9th day in a raw. Fighting also raged in several neighbourhood and towns in the capital with the rebels taking a military checkpoint in the southern neighbourhood of Tadamon. They continued to thwart the regime’s attempt to storm the towns of Daraya, Zabadani and Moadamiya, inflicting heavy losses on them and killing Major General Mowafaq Asaad in the town of Zabdani.
Rebel fighters continued to besiege the airbases of Deir Azzour and Menneg in the east and north of the country. They also fought a fierce battle in the Latakia suburb of Forloq which fell to them recently.
More than 300 rebel commanders of the main Free Syrian Army units from all over Syria elected a 30-member Supreme Military Council which then selected Gen. Salim Idriss as the chief of staff. The council excluded Colonel Riyad Asaad, the founder of the FSA and Gen. Mustafa al-Shaikh who was among those who took the lead in defecting from Assad’s army.
Mass protests broke out throughout on the country calling for the overthrow of the Assad regime and condemning Brahimi’s proposal to deploy a peacekeeping force in Syria.
Regime forces continued their military offensive on the opposition-held areas throughout the country. They shelled as many as 237 different areas, 73 of which were shelled by mortar shells while 130 others were pounded by heavy artillery. Some 34 areas were bombarded by rocket launchers as fighter jets as well as helicopter gunships launched airstrikes on many others, mainly in the suburbs of Damascus.
Regime forces killed as many as 85 people, including six children, two women and 25 rebel fighters.
They killed 41 people in Damascus and its suburbs, the majority of which died due to the indiscriminate shelling in the towns of Yabroud, Daraya, Sbeneh, Hazeh, Yalda and Moqalabiya. Some nine people were killed in Daraa, three of whom died due to the heavy artillery selling in the provincial towns of Yaouda, Jasem and Tal shihba. Deir Azzour Human Right Centre (HRCDZ) said that at least 50 charred bodies were discovered near the Jubaila neighbourhood in Deir Azzour city, only five were identified so far.
Syrians killed: 48,256
Children killed: 3,609
Females killed: 3,630
Soldiers killed: 5,332
Protesters killed under torture: 1269
Missing: +76,000
Protesters currently incarcerated: +216,000
Syrians injured: +137,000
Syrian refugees since March: +497,914
Refugees in Turkey: +135,519
Refugees in Lebanon: +150,793
Refugees in Jordan: +141,291
Refugees in Iraq: +63,496
Refugees in North Africa: +6,815
Videos
Armed Resistance
Mohasan, Deir Azzour: Rebel fighters open fire on regime’s warplanes flying overhead
Tal Ajar, Aleppo Suburb: Protesters fire rockets on Menneg airbase
Damascus
Barzeh: Security forces open fire on protesters, P2
Qabun: Regime forces bombard the neighborhood, p2
Jobar: Protesters refuse UN peace force in Syria
Hejeira: Demonstration in solidarity with the areas under attack
Damascus Suburbs
Kafarbatna: Protesters vow to continue their fight for freedom
Thiyabiya: Protesters chant for the rebel fighters
Douma: Demonstration chant for free Syria
Sbeneh: Protesters denounce the disappointing positions of the Arab nations
Saqba: Funeral procession of the fallen heroes
Qarrah: Protesters chant “we kneel only to God”
Aleppo
Central City: An old man and a little boy lead a mass anti-Assad protest
Ashrafiya: Protesters vow to defeat Assad
Sukari: Children join protesters in an anti-regime protest
Bazaa: Demonstration chants for freedom and demands the overthrow of the regime
Aleppo Suburbs
Menbej: Protesters demand Assad’s ouster
Marea: Protesters chant their support fro the rebel fighters
Safeira: A man dies after been hit by a shrapnel
Ezaz: Foreign journalists witness the barbaric regime shelling
Homs
Inshaat: Regime forces open fire on a protest that followed a car bomb explosion, P2
Waer: Protesters vow to take avenge their fallen heroes
Houleh: Protesters chant for freedom
Deir Baalba: Mass destruction caused by the regime daily shelling
Old City: A shell lands near a mosque during Friday prayers, P2
Daraa
Mahatta: Demonstration chants for freedom and demands the overthrow of the regime
Yadouda: A child dies due to the indiscriminate shelling
Ghariya Sharqiya: Protesters demand Assad’s ouster
Central Daraa: Demonstrators refuse Brahimi’s proposal
Ma’arbeh: Demonstration chants for the rebel fighters
Hama
Madiq Fortress: Protesters chant for the rebel fighters
Latmana: Demonstration chants support for the rebel fighters
Bab Qibly: Protesters demand Assad’s ouster
Khattab: Demonstrators refuse Brahimi’s new plan
Idlib
Ma’arrat Masrin: Protesters chant support for the rebel fighters
Habeit: Protesters refuse Brahimi’s UN peacekeeping force proposal
Farkiya: Humanitarian crisis emerges following the regime shelling
Bennesh: Protesters refuse Brahimi’s UN peacekeeping force proposal
Dar Kabeera: Children join an anti-Assad protest
Deir Azzour
Quriya: Humanitarian conditions worsen as medical supplies become scarce
Jubaila:
Sho’aytat: Protesters chant for freedom and demand the overthrow of the regime
Khareita: Homes and farms are damaged due to the regime shelling
Hasaka
Salhiya: Protesters say Assad’s downfall is very near
Aamouda: Protesters refuse Brahimi’s new plan
Latakia
Ramel Janoubi: Regime tightens up security in order to prevent anti-Assad protests, P2
Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Germany: “I’m desperate, I am left alone, I am Syria” protest
