Syrian death toll increases as Homs faces massacre

Death toll increases in Syria as Homs faces impending massacre Damascus / Rabat – Agencies / Lahoucin Idressi  Syrian opposition announced the death of 10 of their activists and  dozens  of injured by security forces, Sunday. Th leader of the Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalyoun urged the world to stop what he described as a “fascist regime”. Meanwhile, the head of Arab League monitors, Sudanese General Mohammed Dabi commented on accusing al-Qaeda of the Damascus attacks saying “we have our own views and evaluation” concerning the incidents in Syria.
Ten people were killed, including three children, and dozens were injured by the bullets of Syrian security forces in Homs, Deir Azzor, and Daraa, amid protests and violent shelling. The Syrian National Council warned against a possible massacre in Homs by the regime, and called on the Arab League monitors’ delegation to visit the city.
The Syrian Revolution General Commission stated that 27 were killed in Homs, including one who was tortured to death, three children in Deir Azzor killed by the bombing, and one in Daraa, in addition to the 45 that were killed in the protests, Saturday, according to SNC. Activists reported that Talkalakh and neighborhoods in Homs are being violently shelled, particularly Baba Amr neighborhood, in addition to the bombing in Daraa.
 Local Coordinating Committees of Syria (LCC Syria) stated that a Homs neighborhood was violently shelled after army dissidents confronted two army tanks, which raided the neighborhood earlier. Dissidents blew up one tank and forced the other to withdraw. In addition, Security forces raided Rastan, detained 30 young men, and forced them to take of their clothes and publicly humiliated them, according to LCC Syria, which also cited residents of Latakia hearing planes flying over the city.
Activists noted that clashes between armed forces and dissidents are taking place in Daraa, while security forces attacked towns in Deir Azzor and burned the houses of some activists. Additionally, security forces started a detention campaign in Aleppo.
Conversely, Syrian News Agency SANA reported that “unidentified gunmen” killed a medical officer, ranked General, in the Syrian army in Damascus, Saturday. SANA stated that a “terrorist group” assassinated General Doctor Haytham Youssef al-Younis in his private clinic.
SANA previously reported that “Armed groups” targeted a number of Syrian competencies in the past two months, including six pilots, a technical officer, professors in Homs, a nuclear engineer, and head of surgery in the National Hospital in Homs.
Head of the Syrian League for Defending Human Rights, Abdel Karim Rihawi, said that the Syrian government changed the names of some streets to mislead the Arab League mission, after being notified of the streets they plan to visit. Rihawi added that the Syrian government transferred more than 70000 detainees to military barracks, to which visits are strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, head of the Syrian National Council addressed Syrians on Christmas, saying that although this year’s Christmas found a “sad Syria”, it also “witnessed the birth of a new dawn… the birth of freedom and dignity,” adding that Syrians “broke the fear barrier,” explaining that Damascus is revolting, Aleppo is uprising, and that there is more to come.
Ghalyoun stated in a video message published on the official webpage of SNC “We want this regime to be eliminated so that we can live in freedom, peace, and serenity which we have missed for decades. The bloody massacre against the unarmed people has to end… the world cannot stand by and watch torn bodies of men and women and children in Jabal al-Zawiya.” He continued “It is unreasonable for Syrian blood to be shed in rivers in Homs and Idlib, without the International Community acting to deter the fascist regime… such barbaric massacre has to come to an end now.”
Ghalyoun stressed that the opposition welcomes the Arab initiative, however, he accused the regime of “misleading the Arab League and the monitors,” urging the Arab League to not delay calling on the Security Council to adopt the initiative and to not give the regime more chances.
Ghalyoun lauded the dissident members of the army, saying that they preserved the “military honor and humane values” by refusing to open fire on protesters, confirming his support of their “noble missions to protect their brothers” in peaceful protests.
Ghalyoun added “the criminal regime only understands the language of force, exercising violence to bring down the Syrian people, and will not be deterred except by firm stances,” thus explaining that SNC puts the International Community in charge, asking it to work through all possible means to “put an end to the tragedy lived by Syrian people.”
He stressed, however, on the need to keep the revolution peaceful “despite the need for others to carry arms to defend themselves.” He emphasized that SNC is against vengeance and random reactions, confirming that criminals will be held accountable for their crimes.
Ghalyoun vowed to work on overthrowing the regime and all its icons, while preserving state institutions and guaranteeing freedoms, wishing that next Christmas would find a new Syria.
On a different note, the Moroccan delegation joining the Arab League monitors mission arrived, Sunday, to the Egyptian capital. The delegation, comprising of diplomats, activists, military and security experts, is expected to head for Damascus early next week.
Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation said in a statement, copied to ‘Arabstoday’, that the “Moroccan delegation includes Rabat’s ambassador in Nouakchott, Abdel Rahman Benamr, as a delegation coordinator, and a number of diplomats, activists, and military and security experts.” The statement stressed that the Moroccan delegation is sent to assist in executing the Arab League’s monitors’ protocol signed by Syria, aiming to resolve the Syrian crisis.
According to the ministry’s statement, the delegation includes former ambassador and international investigations expert al-Hassan Zahid, former ambassador and international investigations expert al-Arabi Mekhareq, international expert of human rights and international law Abdel Hamid Wali, communication and media expert Talee al-Saoud Atlasi, military expert General Mohamed Kermani, General Bousheib Ferjiah, security expert Mostafa Mouhdi, security expert Mohamed Khalil, human rights activist Abdel Qader Azrea, and finally forensic medicine expert Hisham Beneish.