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Journalists Union Formed in Aleppo
Yesterday 150 media activist from various media organizations in Aleppo established the “Union of Journalists in Aleppo” after three days of meetings which resulted in an official announcement of their formation. The meetings addressed several major issues, most notably the necessity of coordination with military factions on the ground and the acquisition of guarantees of protection from them. The media activists want assurances from military factions that they will be respected as journalists, and not abused, in return for their commitment to professionalism, accuracy, and objectivity in covering events. The activists also focused on the need to accelerate the pace of work and for the formation of committees to direct the work in order to achieve the objectives for which the Union was founded, especially in light of numerous kidnappings and killings of journalists who risk their lives daily without having any protection or rights. Aqeel Hussein, journalist, said during an interview that “the Union was not born in this moment, as we have all been working on establishing it for more than a month. However, the need today for this Union is very urgent, after the worsening situation and the loss of the rights of journalists because of their dispersion and disunity. What we are trying to form today will lay the foundation for an organization that professionally directs the helm of Syrian media in the future.” (Source: Aleppo Media Center)
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Death Toll: 19 martyrs in Syria today, 40 yesterday
The Local Coordination Committees in Syria documented 40 people killed yesterday. As of today, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the death of 19 people until six in the evening, including four children and two women, 14 in Damascus, 4 in Homs, and one martyr in al Raqqa. (Source: Local Coordination Committees + Syrian Network for Human Rights)
FSA repel regime forces in Hujayra
The Free Syrian Army repelled regime troops supported by Hezbollah’s militiamen and Abu Fadel Abbas Brigade, while they were trying to break into the town of Hujayra in rural Damascus, killing a number of them and destroying four military vehicles. In addition, clashes took place between the Free Syrian Army and Assad’s forces near Tishreen Military Hospital in the district of Barzeh of Damascus. Clashes were also reported on the outskirts of Al Qadam and Moadamiya and around Marj al Sultan amidst artillery and missile bombardment on the region. In the meantime, warplanes launched an air raid on the city of Duma in the countryside of Damascus, killing two people including a child, and injuring a large number of civilians. In addition, Jaramana and Al Mazra’a neighborhoods reportedly came under mortar shelling which resulted in the death of one person and injuring a number of people. In the meantime, Assad forces shelled the town of Kafr Batna with heavy artillery, causing a number of civilian casualties and destroying a number of houses. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
Car bomb explodes in regime headquarters in Dara’a
A car bomb exploded at one of the regime’s headquarters in al Manshiya neighborhood of Dara’a, resulting in the death of a number of regime troops. The blast coincided with heavy artillery and missile bombardment on the neighborhoods of Dara’a al Balad, Dara’s camp and Tareeq al Sad. In addition, clashes took place between the Free Syrian Army and the regime’s forces near the Naseeb border crossing which resulted in a number of deaths in the ranks of the latter. Meanwhile, regime forces targeted the town of Maa’raba in rural Dara’a with rocket launchers, injuring a number of civilians and destroying a number of houses. Regime forces also shelled the town of al Taeyba with heavy artillery, causing a number of civilian casualties, some in critical condition. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
FSA downs a MiG warplane in Homs
The Free Syrian Army shot down a warplane today that was dropping barrel bombs on the town of Maheen in rural Homs. The bombardment killed several civilians and wounded others. Also, regime forces shelled with mortar rounds the town of Al Ghannto, causing civilian causalities. Assad forces also renewed shelling on the town of Talbeesa in rural Homs with heavy artillery and mortar rounds, with no reports of casualties. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
Warplanes strike towns and cities of Hama
Regime helicopters bombed the farmlands around Al Latamina and the town of Zour Al-Hessa in Hama, causing fires, destroying buildings, and injuring a number of civilians. Assad’s warplanes also dropped barrel bombs on Al Noriya Bridge between the cities of Halfaya and Taybet al Imam, and on the villages of Rasm al Ward and Qaser ibn Wardan in Hama for the fourth day in a row, injuring a number of people and destroying a number of houses. Regime forces also arrested a number of civilians in Souq al Taweel in Hama. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
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Iranian MP: Tehran and its Militia are behind Assad’s victories.
Javad Karimi Qudussi, a member of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy in the Iranian parliament, stated that Tehran stands behind the “victories” achieved by the army of the Assad regime in Syria recently. Moreover, he acknowledged “the presence of hundreds of military battalions of the Islamic Republic that are fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad.” These statements constitute a precedent about the participation of large Iranian forces fighting alongside the Assad regime as Tehran has always denied the presence of its military forces on Syrian territory, stressing that its support for Bashar Assad does not exceed counseling and the transfer of military experiences. It is noteworthy that some of the leaders of “Quds Force”, the arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard dedicated to outside intervention, had confessed earlier to Iran’s military presence in Syria and Iranian involvement in the war there, even though they later retracted their statements. Meanwhile, over the past months some Iranian cities have seen funerals for Revolutionary Guards killed without mentioning the places where they had been killed. Iranian authorities announced that they had died while defending Sayeda Zeinab. (Source: Al Arabiya + Syrian Coalition)
Turkish authorities confiscate materials for the production of weapons on the Syrian border
A representative of the Turkish Army announced that Turkish authorities seized a large amount of chemicals at the Syrian border that can be used in the production of weapons and arrested a suspect. The Turkish military’s Chief of Staff said in a statement yesterday that the seizure took place Saturday in the town of Ryhanli in southeast Turkey on the border with Syria when a three-car convoy tried to cross the border illegally. Gendarmes were able to stop the convoy only after using their weapons to fire at its wheels, causing the three drivers to flee by foot into Syria. The military said that one of them was arrested but did not reveal his nationality. This seized shipment, which includes sulfur and non-specific material, is undergoing examination by specialists in the Turkish Army. Last May explosions occurred in Ryhanli, later a Turkish sectarian group linked to intelligence units of the Assad regime was found to be responsible for the explosions. (Source: AFP + Syrian Coalition)
KSA Won’t Deport Syrians Violating Residency Regulations
Saudi Arabia announced yesterday the exempting from deportation of Syrian workers who violate residency regulations imposed upon foreigners working in Saudi Arabia. Maj. Gen. Mansour al Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that due to the current circumstances taking place in Syria, offenders cannot be deported, stressing that it will enable them to stay and give them a chance to correct their situation. Yesterday was the deadline granted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for foreign workers in the country to correct their work condition with their original sponsors, or go under the sponsorship of the institutions they are currently employed by, a condition that resulted in the issuance of more than 3,800,000 work permits, and 2,300,000 career amendments, in addition to 2,350,000 transfers of service. (Source: Al Sharq al Awasat + Syrian Coalition)
Gul: No to Syria Becoming Afghanistan on Meditarranean
Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned that Syria may become “Afghanistan on the Mediterranean” if the international community remains indifferent and does not intervene to put an end to the conflict raging there. He stressed that the attitude of the international community must be firm with regard to Syria. Gul said on Sunday that he was greatly “disappointed” by the way the international community refuses to deal with what is happening in Syria, adding that if the international community continued to deal with “indifference” with the ongoing war in Syria, this could lead to more extremism and cause the behavior of some of the groups to become more extreme. Gul expressed his certainty that “no one can accept the existence of something similar to Afghanistan on the shores of the Mediterranean.” (Source: Al Arabiya + Syrian Coalition)
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