Syrian rebels repel government troops in key town

[pinboy3niner]

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press – 28 minutes ago


BEIRUT (AP) — An activist group says Syrian rebels have repelled a push by government tanks into a key central town held by forces fighting against President Bashar Assad's regime.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says Monday's attempt to storm Rastan left at least three soldiers dead. Rastan has been held by the rebels since late January.

Calls to town's residents are not getting through. The telephone lines appear to be cut as they usually are during military operations.

The attack comes a day after the Arab League called for the Security Council to create a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force for Syria and urged Arab states to sever all diplomatic contact with Damascus.

...


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZi62e1oqkOCT_SDpcouSb2Qsclg?docId=a0bbb80f3d604337997441e0b95860e6

[tabatha]

1. Syria's slide towards civil war

The BBC's Paul Wood has spent harrowing days under fire in the Baba Amr area of Homs and here reports on citizens subjected to a relentless artillery barrage by government troops.

Most of the people in the makeshift field hospital in Baba Amr did not want to be filmed. They were too afraid of being arrested to show their faces. But not Abdel Nasr Zayed.

"I have lost 11 already and now I am willing to sacrifice everything for God," he told me, a large, bearded man, his voice booming down the hospital corridor. Of the 11 members of his extended family who had been killed - by shells or sniper fire - five were children under 14.

...

There are Sunnis in the security forces; Christians and Alawites have joined the revolution. It is not yet a purely sectarian conflict. But the pressures for it to become one are enormous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16984219

[pinboy3niner]

3. Thankyou, tab, for all your work in bringing the news here

I know it's a thankless job, and I admire you for doing it.

[tabatha]

2. I got an inkling of that before it was reported

from AJE blogs (which are being overrun by Syrian spambots now)

Just north of Damascus a huge Tank Batlle on the way
Rep guard tanks under fire from two sides
No match for well trained SFA troops
Rep guards are just a parade unit
16 hours ago

ASSad force full on the retreat to Damascus Tartus Banias and Palmyria
19 hours ago

ASSad yesterday made a briljant strategic blunder of the frist class
Over stretching all lines of suply of men and material to day all attacks on SFA FAILED
NO MEN MATERIAL FUELL AMMO AND MOST IMPORTANT MONEY
2 days ago