Friday, February 10, 2012

The battle for Homs


(Click on map to enlarge)

Government forces appear determined to regain control of opposition-held areas in restive Syrian city.

By Nir Rosen
Al-Jazeera

"The Syrian city of Homs has been under attack for nearly a week, as government forces allied to President Bashar al-Assad try to regain control of opposition-held areas.
The city, in the centre of the country, has emerged as the capital of the uprising and its Revolutionary Council runs a virtual state-within-a-state, providing services and fielding its own armed groups.

This latest army offensive, which began on the night of February 3, was interpreted by leaders of Homs' uprising as a response to their recent gains......

'Controlling most of Homs'

After the initial assault on Khaldiyeh, more areas of Homs were hit by government forces in the following days, and opposition leaders reported that soldiers were shooting from some checkpoints.

"They are afraid to move troops into the neighbourhoods," one activist leader said, interpreting the indirect attacks as a sign of the regime’s weakness.

"We ordered our armed groups to remain silent for now," he said. "We don’t want them to attack or engage with the army because we don’t have much ammunition."....

Hama’s Revolutionary Council offered the Homs Revolutionary Council help with food, medicine, arms and ammunition.

The two councils co-operate closely and the team from Hama, about 30km north of Homs, was waiting for an opening to provide help.

As shelling continued, the fighters expected an eventual ground assault. But despite the increased crackdown, leaders of the Homs Revolutionary Council insisted they had lost no ground.

"We control most of Homs," one member of the council’s executive council said....."

No comments: