Thursday, July 14, 2011

Crackdown escalates in east Syria, protesters killed

Crackdown escalates in east Syria, protesters killed










AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces shot dead two pro-democracy protesters on Thursday in eastern provincial capital Deir al-Zoran, residents said, as a crackdown escalated against dissent in the tribal region bordering Iraq's Sunni heartland.
Military intelligence agents also injured seven protesters who had gathered in the main square of the city on the Euphrates river to protest against President Bashar al-Assad whose family has ruled Syria with an iron fist since 1970.
Ultra-loyalist army units also expanded a campaign to crush dissent in the northwestern province of Idlib bordering Turkey and in the city of Homs, where residents said two civilians were killed when security forces stormed the Bab Sebaa neighbourhood.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one soldier was also killed in the attack on the main residential district.
"A crowd of 1,500 had shown up for the usual noon demonstration despite the intense heat. Thousands more have descended on the square after the killings, and there are now around 10,000 people there," said one witness, a computer programmer who declined to give his name for fear of arrest.
Despite being the centre of Syria's modest oil production, Deir is among the poorest regions in the country of 20 million people.
The desert area has suffered water shortages for six years which experts say have been caused largely by mismanagement and corruption, and have decimated agricultural production.More...

0 commentaires:

Post a Comment