Syrian Revolution Daily News Round-up Day 712: Saturday 23-Feb-13

Rebels advance in Deir Azzour and shoot down two warplanes in Aleppo

Anti-aircraft gun captured by the rebels

• Rebel fighters seized control of another neighborhood in Deir Azzour city and shot down two helicopter gunships in Aleppo.
• The opposition Syrian National Coalition pulled out from several international meetings in protest against the failure to end the bloodshed in Syria.
• Death toll of yesterday’s missile attacks on Aleppo city on the continued to rise.

• Ma’adi, Aleppo: Rescuers pull out bodies burried under the rubble, P2, P3
• Khareita, Deir Azzour: Huge crater made by a Scud-type missile
• Deir Azzour: Fighting intensifies between rebel fighters and regime forces, P2, P3

• Total Death Toll: 175
• Opposition Death Toll: 139 including 35 children, 9 women and 20 rebel fighters (Aleppo: 72, Damascus and Suburbs: 39, Idlib: 7, Hama: 7, Daraa; 6, Homs: 4, Deir Azzour: 3, Hasaka: 1)
• Regime Soldiers  & Militiamen Death Toll: +36
• Number of areas shelled: +361
• Number of People Wounded: +70
• Number of People Detained: +30
• FSA Key Operations:
  • Seized control of the Mattar Qadim neighborhood in Deir Azzour.
  • Seized control of Jobata Khashab in Qunaitera.
  • Shot down two helicopter gunships in Aleppo.
  • Destroyed three military tanks and a number of vehicles used by the military.

Summary of Events

Heavy fighting continued across the country as the death toll of yesterday’s Scud missile attacks on two residential areas in Aleppo city continue to rise.

The rebels took full control of the Mattar Qadim (Old Airport) neighborhood in Deir Azour city and continued their major offensive on the base of the army’s 113^th air defense brigade in its western suburb. They also shot down two helicopter gunships in Aleppo, one of which was hit while landing in the Assad Academy in the Jadida neighborhood while the other was shot while flying over the Kuwaires airbase in its eastern suburb.

More than 75 soldiers defected from the 39^th Brigade in the Damascus suburb of Adra. Meanwhile, the rebels assassinated Colonel Ibrahim Mohammad of the army’s first division in the town of Kiswa in the suburb of Damascus. They also killed six soldiers including two officers when they ambushed a convoy carrying high-ranking security personnel on the Aleppo-Damascus international road near Damascus.

Heavy fighting broke out in the town of Nabaa Sakher in the southern province of Qunaitera near the border with the occupied Golan Heights. This came as the rebels seized the nearby town of Jobata Khashab following the withdrawal of the army’s fifth division towards Damascus to support the declining forces in it.

The rebels stormed a checkpoint in the neighborhood of Abbasiya of the southern Daraa al-Balad district and attacked amilitary convoy in the Daraa-Damascus international road. They also attacked several security checkpoints in the city of Idlib and fired mortar and missile shells on the Tabaqa airbase and the base of the army’s 93^rd Brigade in the northern province of Raqa.

Heavy fighting also broke out on various fronts in Aleppo city, Hama and Homs.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition said it will not attend the upcoming meeting of the Friends of Syria group in Rome next Thursday and declined invitations for talks in Russia and the United Sates to protest against what it called “the shameful international stand” on the daily crimes committed against the Syrian people. The Coalition described the international silence and its failure end the bloodshed as a direct participation in these crimes.

Regime forces shelled more than 361 locations across the country, 19 of which were pounded with fighter jets. Scud-type missiles hit three more locations in Deir Azzour, Raqa and on in Idlib just few kilometers away from the Turkish border.

Today’s death toll reached more than 175. Regime forces and loyalist militiamen killed at least 139 people, including 36 children, nine women and 20 rebel fighters, whereas the rebels killed more than 36 soldiers and militiamen.

In Aleppo, some 20 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the neighborhood of Ma’adi when a residential building collapsed due to the massive impact caused by the Scud missile attacks on the nearby neighborhoods of Tariq al-Bab and Ard al-Hamra where 30 more people were pulled out today from the ruins of their homes.

More than 39 people, including six soldiers were killed in Damascus and its suburbs today. The six soldiers were executed in the base of the army’s 14^th regiment in the town of Qutaifa after being accused of disabling the detonators of the bombs prepared to be dropped on civilian areas.

Regime indiscriminate shelling left two people dead in the Idlib suburb of Kafrasajneh. Some two people were killed when a shell hit the central prison of Raqa city while tow more were shot dead by regime forces when they stormed the neighborhood of Janoub Malaab in Hama city and its provincial town of Morek.

Syria’s economy suffered losses of more than 29 million dollars as a result of the damages inflicted on the oil pipes since the beginning of the uprising in March 2011. The average daily oil production stood at 42,000 barrel until august 2012.

Videos

Armed Resistance
Damascus: Rebel fighters destroy military tanks on the Mutahaliq Jaboubi road
Aleppo: Rebel fighters continue their attacks on the police academy
Daraa: Rebel fighters attack a military convoy on Daraa-Damascus road
Raqqa: Rebel fighters detain four soldiers as they ran over a checkpoint near the Water Authority

Damascus
Rokin Addin: Security forces carry out arbitrary arrest campaign
Qaboun: Innocent civilians killed by indiscriminate shelling and sniping, P2
Jobar: A rebel fighter killed during clashes with regime forces

Damascus suburb
Kiswa: Funeral procession of a female fallen hero shot dead by security forces
Yabroud: A Scud-type missile passes overhead
Darayya: Buildings set ablaze as a result of the violent shelling
Harasta: A civilian killed by regime sniper

Aleppo
Aleppo road: Search for trapped bodies under the rubble continues
Ashrafiya: Regime snipers fire on civilians fleeing their homes
Hanano: Protesters chant their support for the areas under attack
Qadi Askar: Two civilians critically injured as a result of the indiscriminate shelling

Aleppo suburb
Kaferhamra: The devastating aftermath of the rocket shelling
Bazzaa: Lifeless body of a rebel fighter killed by regime forces
Maree: Funeral procession of the fallen heroes died in Ard Hamra neighborhood

Homs
Bab Tadmor: The aftermath of the heavy shelling
Krak Des Chevalier: The town comes under intense aerial bombardments
Ghanto: The daily artillery shelling continue
Talbisa: The aftermath of the indiscriminate shelling

Daraa
Jiza: Leaked video footage shows regime military tanks patrolling the town and firing indiscriminately on houses
Naima: Lifeless body of rebel fighter killed during clashes with regime forces
Dael: The town comes under heavy shelling
Om Mayathen: The devastating aftermath of the violent shelling

Hama
Kaferzeita: A mother mourns her son killed during clashes with regime forces
Kafrenbouda: Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the indiscriminate shelling

Idlib
Has: Residents horrified by the indiscriminate0 rocket shelling
Kafersajna: Funeral procession of a number of civilians died as a result of the indiscriminate shelling
Bennish: Funeral procession of a civilian killed died as a result of the indiscriminate shelling

Deir Azzour
Central City: Artillery batteries deployed on hilltops fire indiscriminately on civilian areas
Ommal: The entire neighborhood is turned into rubble
Alhwaiqa: The neighborhood comes under heavy artillery shelling

Suweida
Central City: Funeral procession of a rebel fighter

Demonstrations and Activities Abroad
Jordan: Jordanian lawyers protest against a visit by a Jordanian delegation to Bashar al-Assad in Syria

Source