Syrian clashes intensify
Washington slams fierce fighting near Damascus ahead of truce
DAMASCUS: Fierce clashes between Syrian forces and rebels have erupted near here, as Washington slammed an “intensification” of violence against regime opponents ahead of an agreed truce.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime troops backed by tanks stormed Douma, located some 13km northeast of the capital, at dawn amid heavy gunfire and shelling.
The Britain-based group said clashes between soldiers and rebel forces were reported in various parts of the town.
Plumes of smoke could be seen rising near Douma’s main mosque as troop reinforcements were sent in, the Observatory said.
Violence across the country has left at least 170 people dead so far this week despite a pledge by President Bashar al-assad to implement by April 10 a six-point peace plan brokered by Un-arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
The surge in violence has sent Syrians fleeing, with an official in Ankara saying yesterday that more than 1,000 people had crossed the border in the past 24 hours, bringing to nearly 21,000 the number of Syrian refugees now in Turkey.
“A total of 1,043 Syrians made their way to Turkey in a single day, marking the highest figure in recent times,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, former UN chief Annan said Assad had agreed to start “immediately” pulling out troops as per the terms of the peace plan.
But US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington on Wednesday that “we’ve yet to be convinced that they (Syria’s authorities) have any intention of complying with the April 10 deadline”.
“What we’ve seen, frankly, is an intensification of artillery bombardments in major population centres like Homs and Idlib,” Toner added.
Annan is to address the UN General Assembly on the crackdown.
General assembly president Nassir Abdulaziz al-nasser has convened an informal meeting for Annan to provide via video conference an update on the situation and the “progress of his mission”.
The Observatory has charged that the army is torching and looting rebel houses across the country in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity.