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29 Feb 2012 20:36

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World: Stricken area of Homs flanked by Syrian tanks, full-on ground-assault feared

  • It was a very aggressive attack on Baba Amr today. I don’t think they want to enter it anyway; they want to destroy it completely by shelling it from adjacent villages and neighborhoods.
  • Mulham al-Jundi, Syrian activist • Describing the state of Baba Amr, a part of the besieged city of Homs in Syria. Homs has been the site of the most sustained, catastrophic violence in recent months, and tanks have reportedly surrounded the Baba Amr neighborhood on four sides, launching mortar fire and rockets into the fray. Communication into Baba Amr, which had been maintained for weeks, was cut off for a few hours today, conjuring fears of a ground massacre rolling through the area. Thankfully, recent reports suggest this has not yet occurred. The scene in Homs is ghastly, and looks to be getting worse every day — al-Jundi also said it’s hard to discern how many people are left alive, because anybody who moves through the streets risks being shot dead by government snipers stationed on rooftops. source

26 Dec 2011 09:55

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World: Syrian violence flares up as Arab League observers arrive

  • bad Gunfire in the Syrian city of Homs killed at least 20, as rocket fire and machine gun shelling gained intensity throughout the Baba Amr quarter of the city, a focal point of opposition unrest.
  • worse This violence and gunfire came as observers from the Arab League — 50 in total — were about to land in  the country. A key opposition group said the observers must head to Baba Amr. source