The battles between government forces and the Free Syrian Army are gaining intensity as neighborhoods in the city exchange control multiple times in the same day.
The Salah al-Din part of the city, considered a strategic district by both sides, was reported to be captured by government forces but a later report said the FSA recaptured the area. Continue reading
The UN General Assembly is taking the rare step of condemning the UN Security Council for not taking action in the Syrian civil war. The Assembly is trying to pressure the Security Council to intervene in the war which has left over 20,000 dead.
The action follows yesterday’s resignation of Kofi Annan as special envoy for the UN and the Arab League. Analysts believe the resignation shows that the diplomatic and political process has failed in the nation. Continue reading
Kofi Annan, who has championed peace plans and tried to bring a diplomatic solution to the civil war in Syria, has resigned as the UN and Arab League special envoy to the country.
The news comes as Syrian rebels in Aleppo are hammering a military airfield. The rebels have taken tanks and other heavy machinery from the military after battles and are now putting them toward their offensive. Continue reading
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised his soldiers for taking on what he called “armed terrorist gangs” and said that the current battles between his forces and rebels will determine the fate of the country.
Al-Assad did not appear in public to deliver the statement himself but released a written declaration. Al-Assad has not appeared in public in two weeks. Continue reading
The government offensive in Aleppo entered the fourth day with Syria’s state run TV stating the government has inflicted “heavy losses” on what they term as “terrorist groups.” The Free Syrian Army is denying the validity of the claims and the gains that the government has taken back neighborhoods within the city.
Rebels report that helicopter gunships have increased their assaults on the city and that heavy shelling is taking place in areas that contain civilians. Fighting also increased near the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence agency. Continue reading
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, is calling for the world to take action to stop the “slaughter” in Syria caused by the country’s civil war.
The plea from the UN head came as reports came from Damascus of 23 people killed in a massacre in the Qaboun neighborhood. The reports from Damascus were released after the government positioned forces around the city of Aleppo. Continue reading
Aleppo, the largest city in the country of Syria, has been hit by gunships as fighting in the country’s civil war intensifies, according to BBC reports.
Rebels have launched a major offensive against government forces in the city in an attempt to wrest control of the region. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that territorial gains by the rebels would help to create a “safe haven” for those opposed to the current Syrian regime. Continue reading
Syrian government forces have killed over 100 in the latest massacre related to the civil war situation in the country. The attack in the central Homs province is still sketchy on information as the government has tried to quell reports of the mass killing.
The Observatory for Human Rights reports that sources have confirmed over 100 people killed but only 30 have been positively identified. Activists now say government forces have killed over 17,000 people since the start of the uprising against Syrian President Bashir Assad. Continue reading
UN envoy Kofi Annan has developed a new plan for Syria which includes a national unity government aimed at bringing political change to the war-torn nation. Russia, a key opponent to military intervention in the nation’s civil war, is reportedly in favor of Annan’s proposal.
According to western diplomats who have seen the plan, a cabinet will be made of members of the opposition and the current government but no one would who undermine the credibility of the body. Continue reading
After being targeted by gunfire, Maj. Gen. Robert Mood announced his decision to suspend all operations of the UN Observer Team in Syria.
There have been at least ten direct fire incidents on UN personnel and nine UN vehicles were struck in attacks over the last week. Continue reading