Syrian forces ‘storm towns near Turkey border’

[pampango]

Source: Euronews

Pro-democracy protests in Syria have been met with a fresh crackdown. Troops stormed a region near the border with Turkey in what activists claim is a major military thrust to quell the demonstrations and pursue army defectors.

“We demonstrate to claim our rights, our justice, our freedom. They say we are terrorists and we want to make an Islamic republic here. I say it’s a big lie. In all of Syria, Christians and Muslims are brothers,” said one protestor.

At least four people were killed when the troops swept into 10 villages in the Jabal al-Zawiya area report witnesses. Activists claim Assad troops have wrecked homes in their search for high ranking deserters.

In the wake of the protests, Arab and international rights groups have turned to the Arab League and called on it to suspend Syria’s membership.

Read more: http://www.euronews.net/2011/09/15/syrian-forces-storm-towns-near-turkey-border/

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Syrian protestors mark six months of revolt

http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/09/201191510549594242.html

Syrian security forces have continued to crack down on dissent, as protesters vowed to hit the streets en masse to mark six months since the beginning of an anti-government uprising in March.

The planned protests against the rule of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, on Thursday follow another day of killings, with human rights activists saying security forces shot dead eight people, including a child, in a huge sweep against anti-government protesters in northwestern Syria.

Elsewhere, a child was killed when security forces opened fire to disperse a demonstration in the village of Janudiya near the Turkish border, while another three people were shot dead in the flashpoint central provinces of Hama and Homs, the Syrian Observatory said.

The United Nations says a total of 2,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed during the government's crackdown since the start of the uprising in March. Opposition activists put the death toll at more than 3,000.