Daily Newsletter – 01/01/2014

Maleh: ISIS is a mine planted by Assad

Haitham al-Maleh, Legal Committee Chair believes Bashar Assad should be held accountable not only for killing Syrians, but for “creating extremist cells in the region to have an influence over the opinions of western countries, putting them before two options; terrorism of extremists or the terrorism of Bashar Assad, in an attempt to overshadow the real popular revolution erupted to overthrow him”. “ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham) is a mine planted by the Assad regime in the revolution body, to warn the international community of approaching or interfering in Syrian issues” al-Maleh reiterated in a…Read more

Syrian Coalition Condemns Indiscriminate Shelling of Freed Areas
Syrian Coalition condemns all kinds of the indiscriminate shelling by Assad forces against the freed areas where 10 victims were killed and 15 wounded on a public…Read more

Syrian Coalition: Inviting Iran mines Geneva II
“Many world states want Geneva II to be a media event solely” Ahmad al-Jarba, the Syrian Coalition President, said. He accused the regime to use a policy of “mining” the…Read more

Local Councils Unit continues work in Syrian Cities
The Local Councils Unit continues their work through their offices in all cities and towns under the control of rebels. Water and Sanitation Unit in the local council of Aleppo was able to restore most of the sanitation networks in al-Sakhour and al-Jazmateyeh neighborhoods, after it had repaired and maintained them despite the aerial shelling on the neighborhoods and the lack of necessary equipment. Electricity Unit in the local council of Aleppo reconnected the electricity networks in the neighborhoods where they were damaged due to the brutal aerial shelling by regime forces. It put back a number of electricity poles and rehabilitated some others. The service office in the local council of Saqba in Damascus Suburbs, in cooperation with the service office in eastern Gota cleaned and repaired the sanitation network in a number of areas in Kafr Batna city. The local council in Latakia, in cooperation with ACU, maintained and restored one of the important and strategic roads in al-Akrad Mountain in the suburbs. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

ACU to Launch Polio Immunization Campaign Tomorrow
The Aid Coordination Unit (ACU) in the Syrian Coalition will launch a campaign against polio on Thursday. It had completed its preparations after a meeting between Yasser Najib, chairman of the executive body of polio campaign, and heads of the executive chambers of the campaign in the governorates. During the meeting, detailed plans were reviewed, executive steps for the campaign were set and the allocated vaccinations and money for each governorate were delivered. The campaign that aims at vaccinating over two million Syrian children in seven governorates was launched. The huge operational amounts were also provided from donors, in addition to delivering the cooling chain to the targeted places. A subsidiary executive chamber in Hama was formed chaired by Dr. Abu Jassem; it will overlook the campaign and any following campaigns. The chamber works under external supervision and complete coordination with the central body in Bab al-Salama. The local council in Hama paid the costs of transporting the cooling chain from Bab al-Salama into target areas. Dr. Abu Jassem was mandated to receive Hama’s quota of vaccinations and the operational money for the campaign.  (Source: Syrian Coalition)

52 fallen heroes till six p.m
Local Coordination committees documented the death of 76 fallen heroes in Syria yesterday. Up till six p.m. today, 52 victims have fallen today, including 5 ladies and 4 children and one victim killed under torture. 27 of the victims were killed in Aleppo, 12 in Damascus and its Suburbs, 8 in Daraa, 3 in Homs and 2 in Idlib. (Source: LCC)

Achievements of the Free Syrian Army
2013 – Year in Review
The Syrian Coalition issued an info-graph today illustrating the achievements of FSA and rebels during 2013. The info-graph says that FSA has took control over the entire city of Raqqa, 84% of Aleppo City, 82% of Deir ez-Zour, 80% of Damascus Suburbs and 78% of Idlib. FSA also captured 4 border crossings, 5 airports, 86 military sites, 145 neighborhoods, 338 checkpoints, 176 cities and towns and 21 oil fields. The FSA also shot down 98 warplanes and 57 helicopters and it destroyed 379 of the regimes military vehicles, 353 tanks and armored vehicles and 501 artilleries and rocket launchers. The number of the regime’s damaged tanks and vehicles totaled 498. The info-graph also reads that the number of regime troops killed is as high as 9573, while those killed from the Shia and Iranian militias reached 1428. The number of defected soldiers and officers is 2679. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

FSA Takes Over Brigade 68 in Western Gota
FSA took control over brigade 68 in western Ghota in Damascus Suburbs after fierce clashes where FSA fighters were able to seize two tanks and two military vehicles. Assad forces shelled a number of towns in eastern Ghota using rocket launchers and they also shelled Jobar in Damascus killing one and wounding many others. Al-Yarmouk Camp also was shelled by two rockets launched from al-Qa’a towers south of Midan neighborhood. Another rocket hit al-Qadam industrial compound causing several injuries. A mortar shell fell on Barneyeh Street in Rukn Eddin causing a fire in the area. Another mortar hit Bustan al-Dour in Sinaa neighborhood and another one fell in Beir el-Touteh in Muhajireen. An artillery shell hit a residential area in Marrana town in Damascus Suburbs killing one and wounding several others. The regime’s warplanes dropped explosive barrels on Darayya and Zabadani in Damascus Suburbs. Activists said that one martyr had fallen and five other were wounded under shelling in Kafr Batna in Damascus Suburbs, the victims are displaced from Jobar.  (Source: Smart + Syrian Coalition)

Casualties in Homs fallen under mortar shelling
5 people were killed in Karm el-Shami in Homs and 16 others were wounded when regime forces shelled al-Haj Atef Square yesterday with mortars. 3 people also were wounded yesterday due to similar shelling targeted al-Waer neighborhood from the war college. Talbeeseh City in Homs Suburbs came under shelling by the heavy artillery from the Engineering Battalion in al-Mashrafa. (Source: Smart + Syrian Coalition)

Gas Grenades on Daraa
Regime forces targeted Tareek al-Sadd neighborhood in Daraa with small gas grenades, causing shortness in breath and burning in the eyes earlier yesterday said activists in the area who documented several suffocation cases among civilians, after being taken to makeshift clinics in the neighborhood near Daraa al-Mahatta. This comes amid fierce clashes between regime forces and FSA near Zanoubia School in the same neighborhood. (Source: Smart + Syrian Coalition)

FSA kills 35 Regime Troops in Aleppo
SA targeted gatherings of regime forces in Old Aleppo killing seven soldiers in Ammar Bin Yasser School. 3 other soldiers were killed during clashes near Maysaloun Hospital in Aleppo. In the meanwhile, FSA was able to detonate a building that was made a fort for Assad forces in Jab al-Jalabi in Aleppo, killing over 20 soldiers of Assad troops, in addition to killing 5 others in operation commanded by “Zi al-Nourain” Brigade on al-Masharka checkpoint in Aleppo. Masaken Hanano has also come under aerial bombardment by regime warplanes, killing two near the Post Park in the same neighborhood. (Source: Smart + Syrian Coalition)

• Girl Killed and 10 Wounded in a car shelled by the Regime in Arsal
• “MDM”: the Medical Condition in Aleppo is Catastrophic
• British Health Secretary Calls upon his Country to Receive Syrian Refugees