221 Syrians killed today most of them in Hama
Bodies of victims killed by indiscriminate shelling in the Homs suburb of Qaryaten
- Dozens killed and injured due to explosions and heavy shelling in the suburbs of Hama.
- Regime forces brace for a major offensive on the Aleppo suburb of Sfeera.
- Heavy fighting continued in Damascus as the rebels gained advances in Idlib and Raqa.
- Hilfaya, Hama: The aftermath of rocket shelling
- Qaryaten, Homs: Regime shelling leaves dozens of people dead and wounded, P2
- Damascus: Rebels destroy two military vehicles and kill many regime soldiers during clashes on several fronts, P2, P3
- Total Death Toll: 217
- Opposition Death Toll: 183 including 22 women, 16 children and 44 rebel fighters (Hama: 57, Damascus and Suburbs: 48, Homs: 28, Aleppo: 15, Idlib: 12, Daraa: 7, Raqa: 2, Deir Azzour: 1, Latakia: 1, Suweidaa: 1)
- Regime Soldiers & Militiamen Death Toll: +34
- Number of areas shelled: +265
- Number of People Wounded: +65
- Number of People Detained: +2
- FSA Key Operations:
- Seized control of major streets in the southern neighborhoods of Damascus.
- Stormed a military checkpoint and destroyed two military tanks in the Idlib suburb of Ma’arrat al-Numan.
- Seized control of the Alam checkpoint in the Raqa suburb of Tabqa.
Summary of Events
At least 60 people were killed and many others were injured when a car bomb went off in the central town of Salamiya, 30km east of Hama city, targeting a military factory while employees were leaving the factory at the end of their working day. Today, at least seven people, including four children and three women were killed due to the indiscriminate artillery shelling in the Hama suburb of Hawash.
After 17 days of heavy fighting, regime forces, accompanied by loyalist militi stormed the town of Karanaz in the suburb of Hama. They carried out a massive looting and arson campaign that left at least 100 houses destroyed.
The town of Karyatin, 85km north east of Homs city, was subjected to heavy bombardments by fighter jets and rocket launchers, thus destroying a clinic and several houses and leaving at least 16 people dead and many others wounded.
In the capital of Damascus, regime fighter jets and military tank pounded the eastern districts of Qabun and Jobar, leaving at least nine people dead in Jobar alone. In Damascus suburbs, some 26 people were killed and dozens more were injured due to the indiscriminate shelling in the towns of Douma, Adra, Irbin, Zamalka and Qisia.
The violent and indiscriminate shelling also left four people dead in the Idlib suburbs of Kafarsanjeh and Ihsem and three more in the neighborhood of Salhin in Aleppo city.
Today’s death toll reached 217. Regime forces and loyalist militiamen killed at least 183 people, including 22 women, 16 children and 44 rebel fighters, whereas the rebels killed more than 34 soldiers and militiamen.
On the second day of what the rebels called “The Grand Epic”, heavy fighting continued throughout Damascus and its suburbs. The rebels seized controlled of the strategic street of Talatin in the Yarmouk Refugee Camp and several areas inside the neighborhood of Tadamon. Heavy fighting also erupted near the districts of Qabun and Jobar where the rebels destroyed a military tank as they thwarted the regime’s attempt to retake the Hermala checkpoint.
The rebels destroyed military truck carrying weapons near the Damascus suburb of Harasta. They fired a barrage of mortar shells on the peacekeeping compound in Harasta and the military security compound in the town of Nabek. They also continued to repel the regime’s repeated attacks on the towns of Daraya, Aqraba and Bait sahem.
The regime is amassing troops in preparation for a major offensive to take over the town of Sfeera, 25km south east of Aleppo city. The town has been a regular target for fighter jets and rockets which left dozens of civilians dead and wounded during the past month of January. The rebels however, ambushed a military convoy near the town and destroyed several military vehicles and killed many troops.
Rebel fighters scored advances in the north western town of Ma’arrat al-Numan in the suburb of Idlib. They stormed a military checkpoint and destroyed two military tanks near the Hamdiya and Wadi al-Dayf military camps.
In the northern province of Raqa, the rebels stormed a military checkpoint in the town of Tabaqa and attacked the air defense base of Ithaa as well as the Tabaqa airbase. Heavy fighting also erupted on several fronts in Daraa, Deir Azzour, Homs, Hama and the suburbs of Latakia.
HSBC sent letters to the Syrians residing in UAE informing them that they would have to – following a 30-day notice – liquidate their accounts and close them permanently, Dubai business news website Kipp Report quoted a senior official at the English bank as saying “HSBC has a commitment to adopt the highest compliance standards across the Group. As a result, we must apply enhanced oversight on any customer with connections to sanctioned countries. Where we are unable to maintain sufficiently detailed information about such a customer through a relationship managed account, we are having to discontinue that relationship.”
Syrians killed: 66,110
Children killed: 4,451
Females killed: 3,624
Soldiers killed: 7,297
Protesters killed under torture: 1,475
Missing: +60,000
Protesters currently incarcerated: +160,000
Syrians injured: +137,000
Syrian refugees since March: +787,019
Refugees in Turkey: +170,700
Refugees in Lebanon: +260,943
Refugees in Jordan: +242,649
Refugees in Iraq: +84,852
Refugees in Egypt: +15,057
International Reactions
Egypt’s Morsi hopes for Syria ceasefire ‘soon’
Panetta backs Syria rebels arms plan
Islamic Summit Backs Syria Dialogue
MSF: Over 50% of Syria refugees in Lebanon lack medical care
WHO: Disease spreads as Syria casualties and drug shortages grow
Selected Media Coverage
The National: Israeli air raid on Syria widens gulf with Turkey
Hurriyet Daily News: Syria’s ailing patients: ‘Forgotten’ victims of war
Foreign Affairs: Israel Steps Into Syria
Huffington Post: Making a Political Transition in Syria Possible
ABC News: Mom Turned Sniper in Syria’s Civil War
Foreign Affairs: Settling Syria
Videos
Armed Resistance
Aleppo Suburb: Rebel fighters besiege the Jarah airbase
Homs Suburb: Rebel fighters fire missiles into regime military posts
Ma’arrat al-Numan: Rebel fighters destroy a military tank
Daraa: Rebel fighters clash with regime forces and kill many of them
Damascus
Zahira: Shelling stirs panic among civilians
Yarmouk: The camp comes under heavy shelling
Qaboun: Regime forces shell the neighborhood
Jobar: A man killed by the indiscriminate shelling
Damascus suburb
Hamouriya: Fighter jet bombards the town
Zabadani: Buildings set ablaze after been hit by regime shells
Douma: A man dies after been hit by a shrapnel
Ghouta Sharqiya: An entire family killed due to the indiscriminate shelling, P2
Irbin: Houses ablaze due to the violent shelling
Aleppo
Bustan Qasr: Regime snipers fire on civilians as they try to escape to safer areas
Sheikh Saeed: The area comes under heavy shelling
Aleppo suburb
Hayan: The aftermath of the violent shelling
Safeera: Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the indiscriminate shelling
Meraanaz: Houses destroyed by the indiscriminate shelling
Jarablos: A rebel fighter shot dead by a sniper
Homs
Jobar: Regime forces and militia bombard the neighborhood
Dar Kabeera: An unknown body discovered in the Orontes River
Central City: The aftermath of the indiscriminate shelling
Rastan: Mosques targeted by regime shells
Daraa
Busra al-Sam: A child shot dead by a sniper
Harra: Student demonstration chants for the fallen heroes
Daraa Balad: Houses ablaze due to the heavy shelling
Hama
Kafrenbouda: A child critically injured due to the indiscriminate shelling
Kaferzeita: A man critically injured due to the heavy shelling
Kernaz: Regime forces bombard the town
Idlib
Ehsem: Funeral procession of a victim killed by the indiscriminate shelling
Tamanaa: Houses and mosques targeted by the regime’s indiscriminate shelling
Kafersajna: Four members from the same family killed by the indiscriminate shelling
Deir Azzour
Alhwaika: The neighborhood comes under heavy shelling
Sheikh Yaseen: Houses destroyed by the daily shelling
Hamidiya: Clouds of smoke billow from the neighborhood as a result of the violent shelling
Raqqa
Tal Abyad: Demonstration demands the overthrow of the regime
Central City: Residents discovered two unknown bodies
Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Britain: Syrians protest outside the British parliament in solidarity with the people of Syria
