Annan 'gravely concerned' about Syria
Source: Agencies |
June 12, 2012, Tuesday
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INTERNATIONAL envoy Kofi Annan said yesterday he was "gravely concerned" about the latest violence in Syria, citing shelling of opposition areas in Homs and reports of mortar, helicopter and tank attacks near the coast.
In a statement, Annan said there was an escalation of fighting by government and opposition forces. Violence has spiked in recent weeks, with both sides ignoring a United Nations-brokered cease-fire that was supposed to go into effect on April 12 but never took hold.
Annan demanded both sides "take all steps to ensure that civilians are not harmed."
Yesterday, activists said Syrian troops attacked a rebel-held town in the center with helicopter gunships and shelled other restive areas across the nation. The aerial assault targeted the strategic river crossing town of Rastan, which has resisted repeated government offensives for months, the activists said.
"The regime is now using helicopters more after its ground troops suffered major losses," said Rami Abdul-Rahman of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of sources on the ground.
"Dozens of (military) vehicles have been destroyed or damaged" since the end of May, he said.
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi recently said that rebels are now using sophisticated anti-tank missiles. Videos posted by activists over the past week have shown many destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The state-run news agency SANA said authorities foiled an attempt to blow up a car rigged with 700 kilograms of explosives in the Damascus suburb of Chebaa. Experts dismantled it yesterday, SANA said.
Syrian activists say 13,000 people have been killed in violence since the uprising began in March 2011.
In a statement, Annan said there was an escalation of fighting by government and opposition forces. Violence has spiked in recent weeks, with both sides ignoring a United Nations-brokered cease-fire that was supposed to go into effect on April 12 but never took hold.
Annan demanded both sides "take all steps to ensure that civilians are not harmed."
Yesterday, activists said Syrian troops attacked a rebel-held town in the center with helicopter gunships and shelled other restive areas across the nation. The aerial assault targeted the strategic river crossing town of Rastan, which has resisted repeated government offensives for months, the activists said.
"The regime is now using helicopters more after its ground troops suffered major losses," said Rami Abdul-Rahman of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of sources on the ground.
"Dozens of (military) vehicles have been destroyed or damaged" since the end of May, he said.
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi recently said that rebels are now using sophisticated anti-tank missiles. Videos posted by activists over the past week have shown many destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The state-run news agency SANA said authorities foiled an attempt to blow up a car rigged with 700 kilograms of explosives in the Damascus suburb of Chebaa. Experts dismantled it yesterday, SANA said.
Syrian activists say 13,000 people have been killed in violence since the uprising began in March 2011.
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