Avaaz: Regime builds giant wall to seal off Baba Amr
Regime builds giant wall to seal off Baba Amr
- At least 50 feared dead in fresh regime attack on Hama tonight
- Douma under fire for a second day, snipers target civilians in their homes
- Army shoots dead 4 bus passengers in Khan Sheikhoun attack
HOMS
Avaaz has obtained photos and information today revealing a massive concrete wall has been built around the entire boundary of the formerly restive district of Baba Amr, sealing it off from the rest of the city. Troop reinforcements also arrived in the neighbourhood today, signalling an attempt to retain full regime control of Baba Amr following heavy bombardement and eventual capture of the opposition stronghold earlier this year. One resident told Avaaz: “The army surrounded the neighbourhood of Baba Amr with this fence and there are only three entrances left, which are only used by large numbers of regime troops who have entered the neighbourhood today.”
Avaaz has obtained photos and information today revealing a massive concrete wall has been built around the entire boundary of the formerly restive district of Baba Amr, sealing it off from the rest of the city. Troop reinforcements also arrived in the neighbourhood today, signalling an attempt to retain full regime control of Baba Amr following heavy bombardement and eventual capture of the opposition stronghold earlier this year. One resident told Avaaz: “The army surrounded the neighbourhood of Baba Amr with this fence and there are only three entrances left, which are only used by large numbers of regime troops who have entered the neighbourhood today.”
Another resident, ‘Abdul’ told Avaaz: “We don’t know why they have built the wall. It feels like we are living in Palestine.”
Today most of Homs experienced relative peace and quiet during the UN observers’ visit around the city. One citizen journalist, Mohamed, told Avaaz: “The people asked for help from the observers and asked for the withdrawal of the army and the tanks from the city.”However brief clashes between the army and the FSA were reported today in the neighbourhoods of Alaqrabees and Jouret Shiyah after regime forces tried for a second day to penetrate the restive area of the city.
Video from the Inshaat side of the wall:
Destruction in the neighbourhood of Al Khaldiya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiQtqBX_p-k
HAMA
Initial reports have been given to Avaaz of fresh regime attacks on Hama tonight. Starting at 6:50pm local time regime forces fired several missiles at residential homes in Masha’a Altayar neighbourhood, a poor neighbourhood which houses mostly civilians from Homs internally displaced by last month’s violence. Residents estimated the missile attack led to around 25 homes collapsing with residents inside, killing at least 50 including at least 13 children, and injuring more than 100 people. Activists said among the bodies recovered was a 6-year-old boy pulled from the rubble tonight.
Some 15 bodies are lying in the Ibrahim Halaq School, most of them women. Attempts are ongoing by young men to remove the remaining bodies from the rubble.
One activist said: “We are urgently calling upon the Red Cross to enter Masha’a Altayar neighbourhood immediately to help with the large number of dead especially those we cannot reach under the rubble and to help with the injured. We call on the UN observer mission to make its way immediately to Masha’a Altayar to witness the massacre right now.”
Masha’a Altayar – Aftermath and destruction due to shelling http://youtu.be/Iw3qJ0GFi1U
Masha’a Altayar – The moment of the explosion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjLqZHzS5g
Masha’a Altayar – A child is removed from the rubble http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O9qt4V0kxk
DAMASCUS SUBURBS
Regime forces backed by a large number of tanks and armoured vehicles stormed the city of Douma today. The activist Abu Mohammed told Avaaz the regime pounded the city non-stop from 6am for 4 straight hours. As soon as UN Observers arrived in the city at 10am, the shelling stopped. Army snipers, according to activists, took to the rooftops of high buildings and began targeting civilians indiscriminately. Two people were shot dead by snipers, one of them a teenage boy who was hit by snipers while inside his family home. The second casualty was reported to be a mentally handicapped man – he was shot while walking in the street. His body remained on the ground for several hours before residents were able to recover him.The activist Abu Anas from Doumatold Avaaz: “When the observers from the city left the shelling began again. The army took advantage of the observers entering the town and they came in with them and spread their tanks and armoured vehicles across Duma. Residential neighbourhoods were bombed, leading to several injuries. The security forces launched door-to-door arrest raids in the area surrounding the State Security headquarters, dragging away more than two dozen young men.
Regime forces backed by a large number of tanks and armoured vehicles stormed the city of Douma today. The activist Abu Mohammed told Avaaz the regime pounded the city non-stop from 6am for 4 straight hours. As soon as UN Observers arrived in the city at 10am, the shelling stopped. Army snipers, according to activists, took to the rooftops of high buildings and began targeting civilians indiscriminately. Two people were shot dead by snipers, one of them a teenage boy who was hit by snipers while inside his family home. The second casualty was reported to be a mentally handicapped man – he was shot while walking in the street. His body remained on the ground for several hours before residents were able to recover him.The activist Abu Anas from Douma
Abu Mohammed told Avaaz that even though the FSA eventually withdrew from Douma today, regime snipers remained and continued indiscriminate attacks. He said: “They are shooting at everyone and we are unable to rescue the wounded. We fear for their lives. Many people are escaping the city. People fear the violence in the city which is getting worst every day.”UN observers in Douma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evb-JSUfqM8
Body of a civilian killed by a sniper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7O3yjKWZu According to activists two civilians were shot dead by regime army troops in the town of Harasta while crossing the street. The security forces today blocked off the main road into Harasta, and prevented people from entering or leaving the town. They also raided and searched houses, residents told Avaaz.IDLIB
Four people, including two women, were killed when regime troops stationed at a checkpoint in the town of Khan Sheikhoun shot up a bus full of civilians as it drove along one of the main streets north of the town. Six more passengers were seriously injured in the attack. The activist Abu Omar told Avaaz two of the dead were from the city of Hama, the other two from Homs and Khan Sheikhoun. The bus had left from the city of Hama this morning.DARAA
A general strike was widely observed in cities and towns across the province of Daraa today. According to activists the army carried out wide-scale door-to-door raids in the town of Ankhel in order to force people out to work and not take part in the strike. The activist Abu Hanafi told Avaaz: “The security forces arrested several young people and set fire to a number of houses belonging to activists and used the detainees as human shields to protect them from the attacks that followed by the FSA.”
The security forces and army troops opened shops by force in the town of Tafs. Activists reported that security forces looted the shops, and later snipers shot at civilians. Snipers were stationed on the rooftops of high buildings, and clashes took place in the town between the army and FSA for more than half an hour.
Body of a civilian killed by a sniper http://www.youtube.com/
Four people, including two women, were killed when regime troops stationed at a checkpoint in the town of Khan Sheikhoun shot up a bus full of civilians as it drove along one of the main streets north of the town. Six more passengers were seriously injured in the attack. The activist Abu Omar told Avaaz two of the dead were from the city of Hama, the other two from Homs and Khan Sheikhoun. The bus had left from the city of Hama this morning.DARAA
A general strike was widely observed in cities and towns across the province of Daraa today. According to activists the army carried out wide-scale door-to-door raids in the town of Ankhel in order to force people out to work and not take part in the strike. The activist Abu Hanafi told Avaaz: “The security forces arrested several young people and set fire to a number of houses belonging to activists and used the detainees as human shields to protect them from the attacks that followed by the FSA.”
The security forces and army troops opened shops by force in the town of Tafs. Activists reported that security forces looted the shops, and later snipers shot at civilians. Snipers were stationed on the rooftops of high buildings, and clashes took place in the town between the army and FSA for more than half an hour.
The army shelled the city of Bosra today, killing at least 4 people. Citizen journalist Abu Abdullah told Avaaz: “Fighters with the FSA stationed in the archaeological areas of Bosra Sham withdrew from the region after violent clashes against army troops. But the regime’s forces continued shelling indiscriminately in order to eliminate the FSA. They damaged many civilian homes.”http://youtu.be/lJUjhvqMrmg Destruction following the bombing in Bosra Sham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik7WznSUXgA&feature=youtu.be Army tanks enter Bosra Sham
http://www.youtube.com/watcnh?v=OHs6bi6X5d8&feature=youtu.be Columns of smoke in Ankhel after the security forces burned houses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fz_KhMLiA8&feature=youtu.be Spread of snipers in the town of Ankhel
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For further information or citizen journalist interviews, please contact Will Davies on +44 7855 419901 orwill@avaaz.org
[...] site du journal Al Ayyam citant l’ong Avaaz annonce que les forces syriennes ont construit un mur en béton tout [...]
that wall is not big enough there is no wall big enough to seal homs, homs is free and it paid for its freedom, god knows how much and so do the witnesses, and so do the families and so do we. Assad is a criminal. God bless free syria. Allahu Akbar.