Tag Archives: Syria

In Damascus, heavy fighting continued for a third day as government forces deployed tanks and helicopters. A rebel army commander said the fighting was the beginning of their push to take over the capital. A senior defector said Assad will not hesitate to use chemical weapons. Peace negotiations in the UN have deadlocked.

In the worst incident in 16 months, more than 200 people were reported killed by government forces in an assault on a village near Hama. Syria began moving its chemical weapons out of storage. Russian warships set sail for the port of Tartus to protect a merchant ship delivering military equipment.

Government troops fired artillery into a rebel-occupied district on the outskirts of Damascus and then attacked with troops and armored vehicles. Syria’s ambassador to Iraq defected to the opposition and called on Syrian soldiers to turn their guns on the Damascus leadership.

After discussing a new peace initiative with President Assad, UN envoy Kofi Annan continued to Iran where he said Iran “must be part of the solution.” He also met with Prime Minister Maliki in Iraq. Russia proposed hosting new talks and said it would sell no new weapons to Syria until the situation in the […]

Syria held military exercises to simulate defending the country against outside aggression. The UN envoy said President Assad had agreed to a new framework for ending violence. Russia said it would halt new arms sales to Syria.

UN envoy Kofi Annan acknowledged that diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the violence in Syria had failed. Government artillery fired shells across the border into Lebanon; rebels had crossed the border seeking refuge. Government forces attempted to regain control of rebel-held territory in Aleppo.

A general in the elite Republican Guard who is a member of President Assad’s inner circle defected and fled the country. Government forces attacked the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun. The Friends of Syria group, meeting in Paris, called for more sanctions.