Syrian Revolution Daily News Round-up Day 687: Tuesday 29-Jan-13

Horrific Massacre in Aleppo Today

Bodies discovered in a river in Aleppo city today

• More than 101 civilians were executed and dumped in a river in Aleppo city.
• Hundreds of soldiers defected from Assad’s army today.
• UN said more than 700,000 Syrians currently taking refuge in neighboring countries.

• Bustan Qaser, Aleppo: Dozens of bodies pulled out from a river, P2, P3
• Deir Azzour: Rebel fighters take over the State Security Branch, P2
• Idlib: Hundreds of defected soldiers arrive from Damascus

• Total Death Toll: 281
• Opposition Death Toll: 251 including 15 children, 10 women and 27 rebel fighters (Aleppo: 136, Damascus and Suburbs: 42, Daraa: 26, Homs: 18, Hama: 10, Idlib: 7, Deir Azzour: 6, Hasaka: 4, Qunaitera: 1)
• Regime Soldiers  & Militiamen Death Toll: +30
• Number of areas shelled: +424 
• Number of People Wounded: +80
• Number of People Detained: + 12
• FSA Key Operations:
  • Shot down a fighter jet and destroyed a military convoy in the Aleppo suburb of Safeera.
  • Seized control a security compound in Deir Azzour city.
  • Seized full control of Idlib’s central prison.
  • Stormed the village of Ameriya in the suburb of Homs.

Summary of Events

The bodies of at least 101 young men and boys were pulled out from the Quweiq River in the rebels-held neighborhood of Bustan al-Qasr in Aleppo city. The bodies were executed with a single gunshot to the head while their hands were bound. The youngest among the victims is a 12 year old boy. Families from different parts of the city rushed into the scene in order to identify the bodies. The victims were generally identified as ex-detainees and others who have gone missing while crossing regime-held zones.

Regime forces also executed 14 people in the neighborhoods of Asaly and Qabun in Damascus and near the provincial towns of Daraya and Moadamiyat al-Sham. They executed and burnt seven more civilians in the Daraa suburb of Nawa.

Regime forces stepped up their attacks on opposition-held areas across country, shelling as many as 424 locations using cluster, phosphorus, therbombaric and explosive bombs as well as the long-range surface-to-surface missiles, causing extensive material damage and leaving dozens of people dead and wounded.

At least seven people, mainly women and children, died and dozens more were injured due to the heavy rocket and artillery shelling in the Homs suburb of Rastan. Some 19 more people were killed due to the indiscriminate bombardments on rebels-held towns and neighborhoods in Damascus and its suburbs while at least 20 more were killed in similar attacks on the villages of Tal Aran and Tal Hasel in the Aleppo suburb of Safeera where more than nine people were also killed when regime rockets hit a residential compound in the town’s centre.

Today’s death toll reached more than 281, marking the highest death toll in weeks. Regime forces and loyalist militiamen killed at least 251 people, including 15 children, ten women and 27 rebel fighters, whereas the rebels killed more than 30 soldiers and militiamen.

Rebel fighters took over the State Security Branch and a strategic bridge in the north eastern part of Deir Azzour city after heavy fighting that lasted for several hours and left at least ten regime forces dead and a number of military vehicles destroyed.

The rebels seized full control of the central prison of Idlib which came under heavy airstrikes after the remaining security forces escaped, taking with them the rest of the detainees who haven’t managed to flee when the rebels broke into the prison few days ago.

More than 1000 soldiers defected from Assad’s army, marking the largest military defection in the 22-month uprising. Defectors fled from their barracks in Damascus and arrived to the north-western province of Idlib today.

More than 700,000 Syrian refugees have fled to other countries in the region and aid workers are struggling to keep up with the exodus, the United Nations said today. The number of refugees passed the 500,000 mark on Dec 11, meaning more than 200,000 have fled the country in the past seven weeks.

Videos

Armed Resistance
Idlib: Rebels seize full control of Idlib’s central prison
Damascus: Rebels fire mortars into the Air Force Intelligence branch and fight bruising battles in Qadam, P2
Safeera, Aleppo Suburb: Rebel fighters say they shot down a fighter jet and destroy a military convoy, P2
Raqqa: Rebels fire missiles into the base of the army’s 17^th division

Damascus
Qaboun: Residents discover tow unidentified bodies that appear to have been executed
Jobar: Students chant their support for the rebel fighters
Hajar aswad: Regime shelling continues and leaves many people dead and wounded, P2

Damascus suburb
Mudamiyat Al-sham: Three civilians killed “execution style”
Douma: The town comes under heavy shelling
Irbin: Three civilians die as a result of the violent shelling
Daraya: Regime forces bombard the town

Aleppo
Sukkari: Demonstration against the regime’s crimes
Darit Izzah: Protesters condemn the River’s Massacre

Aleppo suburb
Safeera: Dozens killed and injured due to the indiscriminate shelling
Minbej: Demonstration breaks out following news of horrific massacres
Hayan: Mass destruction caused by the indiscriminate shelling

Homs
Rastan: A mother and her children die due to the violent shelling
Old City: The city comes under heavy shelling
Talbisa: A funeral turns into anti-regime protest
Jobar: The neighborhood comes under heavy rocket shelling

Daraa
Saida: The devastating aftermath of the violent shelling
Naima: Regime shells target a mosque
Sheikh Meskeen: A man killed by regime forces

Hama
Kirnaz: Houses set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling
Kafrnbouda: Regime warplanes drop cluster bombs on the town
Bridige: Mass explosions caused by the rocket shelling

Idlib
Heesh: The devastating aftermath of the violent shelling
Ma’arret Noman: A rebel fighter gets shot by regime forces
Jabal Jazwiya: The area comes under heavy rocket shelling

Deir Azzour
Howiqa: Buildings set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling
Cental City: A rebel fighter killed during clashes with regime forces
Ommal: The neighborhood comes under heavy shelling
Bulail: Regime shelling leaves dozens of people wounded

Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Canada & US: “I stand in solidarity with the students of Aleppo University

Source