This past Friday the Syrian army launched an offensive against rebel forces in the city of Qara. They carried out a series of air strikes and helicopter attacks in order to gain control of the city, which had been in the hands of rebel forces for almost a year now. Qara lies 60 miles north of Damascus, and by taking control of the city the Syrian army has taken control of the road linking the coast to the capital. This new development has caused an increase in the amount of violence in the city and nearby areas. The local media has released very little information regarding the aftermath of the attack, but they have led on that "a large number of terrorists" have been killed.
This new development in the conflict between Syrian government forces and various rebel factions has created an increase in violence within the country, particularly the Damascus region. The city itself has seen an increase in violence, as well as the nearby suburb regions, which are known to house many rebel forces and rebel supporters. This strike is a clear indicator of the fact that the violence between the two forces will not be coming to an end any time soon. Many Syrian citizens are fleeing the region in order to escape the increase in violence. It is believed that nearly 10,000 people fled to Lebanon after this strike, joining the estimated 800,000 refugees forced from Syria due to the conflict.
Syrian army Captures Key Town of Qara From Rebels. BBCNews.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25006486
Has the UN said anything about the escalation of violence in Syria? Why is it that the use of chemical weapons is an international offense, but killing with guns and missiles is deemed okay?
ReplyDelete