Assad’s regime reserves right to retaliate after Israel attack
An Israeli soldier looks on as a United Nations jeep drives past the Quneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria, in the Golan Heights
- Assad’s regime lodged a complaint with the United Nations on Israel’s airstrike yesterday.
- The opposition Syrian National Coalition condemned the Israeli attack on Syria, reassured “No dialogue with Assad”.
- Shelling and clashes intensify in Damascus; rebels said they shot down an Iranian aircraft.
- Rastan, Homs: Regime shelling leaves many people dead and wounded, P2, P3
- Rebel fighters destroy regime military tanks in Damascus, Idlib and Deir Azzour, P2, P3
- Homs: Videos purportedly show defected fighter jets bombarding the pro-regime neighborhood of Zahraa in Homs city and the engineering battalion in the suburb of Homs, P2
- Total Death Toll: 151
- Opposition Death Toll: 106 including 4 children, 3 women and 36 rebel fighters (Damascus and Suburbs: 61, Aleppo: 11, Homs: 11, Idlib: 9, Hasaka: 6, Daraa: 3, Deir Azzour: 2, Hama: 2, Tartus: 1)
- Regime Soldiers & Militiamen Death Toll: +45
- Number of areas shelled: +337
- Number of People Wounded: +55
- Number of People Detained: +0
- FSA Key Operations:
- Shotdown an Iranian aircraft in the suburb of Damascus.
- Shot down a fighter jet in the suburb of Damascus.
- Destroyed 6 military tanks in addition to a number of armored vehicles.
Summary of Events
The Assad regime lodged complaints with the UN and summoned Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the occupied Golan (UNDOF), Major-General Iqbal Singha, to inform him of its official condemnation of the Israeli attack and the violation of the Israeli-Syria 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and its obligations.
The Assad regime warned that it reserves the right to retaliate to what it says was an Israeli air strike on a military research centre near Damascus yesterday.
Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, said in Damascus that Syria “has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation”. Without specifying when and how the retaliation will take place.
During an urgent meeting in Cairo today, the executive bureau of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces reassured their refusal to any dialogue initiative with the Syrian regime that doesn’t include Assad’s departure from power. The meeting came after a controversial comment posted by the SNC’s leader Sheikh Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib on his personal Facebook fan page offering possible talks with Syrian officials in Cairo, Tunisia or Istanbul based on certain conditions. Khatib confirmed that his initiative meant to discuss Assad’s departure with officials from the Syrian regime, those whose hands are not stained with blood. He added that the primary reason behind his initiative is to alleviate suffer of the Syrian people.
The Syrian National Coalition also condemned the Israeli attack on Syria and promised to take the necessary diplomatic and political measures to deter similar attacks in the future.
Rebel fighters said they shot down an Iranian civil aircraft while landing in Seen military airport in the Damascus suburb of Dumair. The rebels, who previously warned that civil aircrafts will be a fair target, said the Russian-made aircraft was actually carrying weapons. They also shot down a fighter jet while carrying an airstrike on the Damascus suburb of Harran Awamid, 5km east of Damascus International Airport, where they also destroyed a military tank and three armored vehicles. The rebels continued their major offensive on the Military Vehicles Department in the suburb of Harasta and continued to repel the regime’s assault on the town of Daraya and the neighborhood of Qadam south of Damascus, destroying at least two military tanks and leaving many regime soldiers dead and wounded.
Regime forces continued their attacks on residential areas within the rebels-held areas, shelling as many as 337 locations across the country, 15 of which were pounded with warplanes using cluster, phosphorous, thermboaric and explosive bombs, therefore, causing extensive material damages and leaving dozens of people dead and wounded.
Today’s death toll reached more than 151. Regime forces and loyalist militiamen killed at least 106 people, including four children, three women and 36 rebel fighters, whereas the rebels killed more than 45 soldiers and militiamen.
Regime forces executed 15 civilians near the Damascus suburb of Daraya and killed 11 more in the neighborhood of Qadam, 6 of whom were killed “execution style”. An airstrike targeted a petrol station in the Damascus suburb of Hazerma leaving at least seven people dead and dozens more wounded, the petrol station was the only one operating in the entire East Ghouta district. Some five civilians, including two Christians, were killed when regime forces opened their fire on a bus in Damascus-Beirut highway, moreover, three citizen journalists were killed while covering clashes in the Damascus suburbs of Irbin and Ghobair.
The intense shelling in the Homs suburbs of Rastan, Talbisa and Houla killed at least 11 people including three children. A child and three men were killed when a shell hit a nursery school in the neighborhood of Jamiyat al-Zahraa in Aleppo city. Meanwhile, a family of four members was killed when regime military tanks fired indiscriminatly on the town of Nerab in the suburb of Idlib.
More than 70% of Syria’s businessmen are out of the country, said the Secretary General of the “National Bloc Party,” and board member of the “Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Suburbs” Marwa Aloatona.
Syria’s public debt reached about $8.5 billion which accounts for 46.2% of Syria’s GDP of $19 billion. A report issued by “the Syrian Center for Policy Research,” in Damascus, expected the external debt of the Syrian government at around two billion dollars, while the domestic one at about $5.5 billion. The report said that 28.3% of the total losses in GDP which amounts to $6.8 billion, were due in part to the economic sanctions imposed on Syria by the West since the beginning of the crisis.
Syrians killed: 64,946
Children killed: 4,349
Females killed: 3,567
Soldiers killed: 7,014
Protesters killed under torture: 1,454
Missing: +60,000
Protesters currently incarcerated: +140,000
Syrians injured: +137,000
Syrian refugees since March: +714,118
Refugees in Turkey: +163,161
Refugees in Lebanon: +223,231
Refugees in Jordan: +228,936
Refugees in Iraq: +79,469
Refugees in Egypt: +14,375
International Reactions
White House warns Syria over ‘weapons to Hezbollah’
Brahimi says UN holds key to Syria peace
Britain struggles in push to ease Syria arms embargo
Allies of Syria condemn reported Israeli attack
Russia condemns Israeli air strike on Syria
Selected Media Coverage
Washington Times: Opinions on US options in Syria widely split
The Guardian: Israel faces repercussions of air strike on Syria
Wall Street Journal: Syria Parries Israel With Verbal Strike
New York Times: Vacation on Syria’s Front Lines Goes Wrong for Russian Judge
USA TODAY: Analyst: Syria missiles threaten Israeli spy flights
BBC News: Q&A: Israeli ‘strike’ on Syria
Washington Post: How Israel’s air strike could help Syria
The Guardian: Syria: how we can end the bloodshed
Videos
Armed Resistance
Aleppo: Rebel fighters fire missiles and tanks shells on regime military posts, P2
Damascus
Yarmouk Camp: Clouds of smoke billow from the neighborhood due to the heavy shelling
Qadam: Houses set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling
Jobar: A man shot dead by pro-regime militia from Jaramana
Qadam: Residents discover six bodies whom were executed
Damascus suburb
Daraya: A camera man gets shot by a sniper
Moadamiyat al-Sham: Dozens killed and injured due to the indiscriminate shelling
Bowayda Sharqiya: Six rebel fighters killed during clashes with regime forces
Kafrbatna: Hundreds of protesters join the funeral procession of citizen journalist Loay Namer
Aleppo
Bustan Qasr: Demonstration chants for the fallen heroes and demands the overthrow of the regime
Leramoun: A factory set ablaze due to the heavy shelling
Sheikh Saeed: Rebels pull out the dead bodies as the shelling and fighting intensify, P2
Aleppo suburb
Hretan: Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the heavy shelling
Homs
Krak Des Chevalier: The towns comes under heavy shelling
Qusair: Dozens injured due to the indiscriminate shelling
Central City: Heavy artillery station at the city’s ancient castle bombards the city
Daraa
Herak: Regime shelling leaves many people wounded
Yadouda: Regime shelling continues
Tafas: A rebel fighter dies during clashes with regime forces
Hama
Kaferzeita: Regime shelling leaves many people wounded, P2
Helfaya: The aftermath of the violent shelling
Karnaz: The devastating aftermath of the heavy aerial bombardments
Idlib
Keleli: Hundreds of people join a funeral procession of a man who was killed by the heavy shelling
Nerab: Four people from the same family killed by the indiscriminate shelling
Deir Azzour
Marrat: Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the heavy shelling
Jubaila: The neighborhood comes under heavy shelling
Sheikh Yaseen: Regime forces bombard the neighborhood
Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Britain: Syrians protest against Russia’s support to the Assad regime
