Syrian Revolution Daily News Round-up Day 672: Monday 14-Jan-13

Massacres continue in Damascus and Aleppo, Rebels say all Iranians must leave Syria

Syrian children pulled from the rubble in the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyat al-sham today

• Total Death Toll: 175
• Opposition Death Toll: 147 including 19 children, 4 women and 17 rebel fighters (Damascus and Suburbs: 70, Aleppo: 29, Daraa: 14, Homs: 10, Hama: 8, Idlib: 6, Deir Azzour: 4, Suweidaa: 1)
• Regime Soldiers  & Militiamen Death Toll: +28
• Number of areas shelled: +329
• Number of People Wounded: +80
• Number of People Detained: +110
• FSA Key Operations:
  • Seized control of the Meteorological Services Base in the suburb of Damascus.
  • Destroyed 5 military tanks in the suburbs of Damascus.
  • Resumed attacks on airbases in Aleppo and Deir Azzour.
  • Detained a number of regime soldiers including high-ranking officers in Daraa and Deir Azzour.

Summary of Events

The country has seen another bloody day as regime forces intensified their aerial raids on civilian areas, leaving dozens of people dead and wounded as the rebels gave a 24-hour ultimatum to all Iranian citizens to leave Syria.

The Chief-of-Staff of the Joint Military Command of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Salim Idris, issued a statement, demanding “all Iranian citizens in Syria should leave the country within 24 hours or else, the rebels should not be held liable for their safety.” This came as Idris confirmed that ‘the Iranian and Russian support to the Assad regime is increasing instead of decreasing as some may think”. Idris, also said that they have intelligence confirming that some security apparatus in Syria are being run by Russian and Iranian experts. He also said that some of the rebels who were released based on the recent prisoner exchange deal, confirmed that they were interrogated by Iranian investigators.

The rebels seized control of the Meteorological Services Base located between the towns of Herran Awamid and Otayba in the East Ghouta district and few kilometres away from the Damascus International Airport. The rebels said that this base was used by Iranian experts to cause interference to pro-opposition TV channels. Heavy fighting also erupted throughout the Damascus suburbs of Daraya, Mleiha, Sokhna, Dukhaniya and Aqraba where the rebels destroyed at least five military tanks in addition to killing and injuring a number of regime soldiers and militiamen.

In the south, the rebels seized control of the Daraa suburb of Masaken Sayda after fierce clashes that left many rebels and regime forces dead. In the nearby town of Baser Harir, heavy clashes continued for the 19^th consecutive day, with the rebels repelling the regime’s ground assault and heavy aerial bombardment on the town.

Regime forces shelled as many as 374 different locations across the country using all sort of heavy weaponry, including cluster, phosphorus, thermobaric and explosive bombs. Some 134 locations were shelled by mortar shells and 170 others were pounded by artillery. More than 54 locations came under rocket shelling while fighter jets and helicopter gunships struck 24 more.

The continued violence left at least 175 people dead today. Some 147 people were killed by regime forces including 19 children, four women and 17 rebel fighters, whereas more than 28 regime soldiers and militiamen were killed by the rebels.

Using cluster and thermobaric bombs, regime forces killed more than 70 people in Damascus and its suburbs, including ten children and three women, the majority of whom died due to the aerial raids on the provincial towns of Moadamiyat al-Sham, Hosh Arab, Otayba, Mleiha. Meanwhile, 29 people died in Aleppo, 11 of whom were killed due to the heavy aerial and artillery shelling in the neighborhood of Haydariya, while many others were also killed due to the indiscriminate airstrikes on the neighborhoods of Maskana and Sukhna. Some eight people were killed in Hama, including four children that died in an airstrike on the provincial town of Latamana. Meanwhile, dozens of civilians and rebel fighters were killed due to the heavy fight fighting, shelling and summary executions and that took place throughout Daraa, Idlib, Homs and Deir Azzour.

Videos

Armed Resistance
Aleppo Suburb: Rebel fighters destroy a helicopter gunship while attacking the Menneg airbase
Idlib: Rebel fighters destroy a military tank
Khan Asal, Aleppo Suburb: Rebel fighters storm a military checkpoint
Baser Harir, Daraa: Rebel fighters repel the regime’s ground assault
Masaken Sayda, Daraa: Rebel fighters seize control of the town
Karnaz, Hama: Rebel fighters attack military outposts using rocket launchers
Deir Azzour: Rebel fighters say they killed and detained a number of regime soldiers

Damascus
Barzeh: Regime snipers fire randomly on pedestrians
Qaboun: Residents discover a body that carries signs of torture

Damascus suburb
Bait Sahem: Smoke billows from the town due to the indiscriminate shelling
Daraya: Regime warplane launches airstrikes on the town
Nashabiya: Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the heavy shelling
Saqba: Regime warplanes use thermobaric bombs against civilians

Aleppo
Karm Jabal: Lifeless body of fallen hero Abudl-Razaq Hadi
Farafra: The devastating aftermath of the heavy shelling
Bustan Basha: The neighborhood comes under heavy artillery shelling

Aleppo suburb
Maskana: Regime forces use cluster bombs against civilian areas
Menneg: Regime forces bombard the town using cluster bombs
Safeera: Tanks stationed on one of the mountains bombard the town
Tal Refaat: Funeral procession of one of the rebel fighters

Homs
Talbisa: Regime forces use phosphorous bombs against civilians
Khalidiya: Mass destruction caused by the indiscriminate shelling
Jobar: Regime snipers fire randomly on civilians
Ghanto: Smoke billows from the residential buildings due to the indiscriminate shelling

Daraa
Sayda: A man executed by regime forces
Central Daraa: Found an unidentified body
Tafas: Mass destruction caused by the heavy shelling
Basr Harir: The town comes under heavy bombardment

Hama
Latamna: Regime shelling leaves many people dead and wounded, P2
Kaferzeita: Regime forces bombard the town
Halab road: Protesters chant their support for the areas under attack

Idlib
Ta’oum: The town comes under heavy shelling
Sermeen: Dozens people killed and injured due to the indiscriminate shelling, P2
Deir Sunbol: Regime warplane carries out an airstrike on the town
Sarmada: A rebel fighter killed during clashes with regime forces

Deir Azzour
Howayqa: Regime forces bombard the neighborhood
Jubeila: Heavy smoke billows from the neighborhood due to the violent shelling
Mowathafeen: Buildings set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling

Raqa
Tal abyad: Protesters chant their support for the areas under attack

Latakia
Tabiyat: Demonstrators demand the overthrow of the regime
Salma: Regime forces bombard the area

Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Egypt: Demonstration in solidarity with the Syrian revolution

Source