Tag Archives: Syria

Syrian military forces seized the Deir Baalbeh area of the central city of Homs after launching a fierce assault against the area several days ago. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi declared his support for the Syrian revolution. Austria has announced its support for Iran’s six-point plan on the crisis in Syria.

Russia urged the Assad regime and the opposition Syrian National Council to pursue peace talks. The opposition rejected the invitation. Two Air Force generals and three Syrian state journalists defected. Government forces began firing Iranian-made ballistic missiles.

UN envoy Brahimi proposed a peace plan that included a transitional government with executive powers until new elections could be held. The National Coalition said it would agree to any plan that excludes President Assad. Russia sought to revive an earlier peace plan without the stipulation.

After setbacks to the Assad regime, refugees in Jordan began returning to Syria join the rebellion. A senior general in charge of Syria’s military police defected to the rebels. Fighting over a military base on the Damascus-to-Aleppo highway intensified as rebels attempted to cut off government forces in the north.

UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met with President Assad but made little progress toward a negotiated solution for the civil war. Rebels surrounded three air bases in northern Syria but were unable to stop government jets from launching attacks. Russian advisers are manning some of Syria’s air defenses.

An airstrike by government jets killed 90 people in Hama province. Some 200 government troops guarding Damascus airport defected to the rebels.

The US and Russia agreed to a political solution to Syria’s civil war. Moscow said it would accept President Assad’s departure. Countries in the region offered safe haven to Assad. Rebels threatened aircraft flying from Aleppo’s international airport.

Government forces continued to fire SCUD-type ballistic missiles at rebel positions; they also began using cluster bombs. Residents began to flee Damascus.

Rebels began an offensive to seize a strategic town in Hama province that lies along the main highway between Damascus and Aleppo. Government forces resumed launching SCUD missiles at rebel positions. Fighting subsided at a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus.

Government forces conducted a broad offensive against rebels in the suburbs of Damascus. The UN estimated there would be 1 million Syrian refugees by mid-2013, and appealed for $1.5 billion in aid.

After days of heavy fighting, rebel forces took control of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of Damascus. The government massed forces to retake the camp. Large numbers of Palestinian residents fled. Rebels made further gains in central Syria.