Middle East News

Syrian army deploys heavily in capital, shells central province

Feb 20, 2012, 8:48 GMT

A handout photo made available by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrian President Bashar Assad (R) meeting with the Chairman of the Russian Duma\'s International Affairs Committee, Aleksey Pushkov (L) in Damascus, Syria, 20 February 2012. EPA/SANA/HANDOUT

Beirut - The Syrian military has deployed heavily in the capital Damascus to prevent activists from holding protests similar to those that took place last week, activists said Monday.

Troops were stationed near government buildings and in residential areas, where the homes of some high ranking officials are located, Mohamed al-Aliaa, a Damascus-based activist told dpa by phone.

Army checkpoints have been set up in Mezzeh, which houses embassies, and neighbouring Kfar Sousa. At least six people, including three teenagers, were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the areas on the weekend.

Soldiers were searching cars and checking identity cards of people leaving or entering the two areas, according to activists.

'Pro-government thugs were deployed across the city in civilian clothes to monitor the situation in crowded areas,' said al-Aliaa.

'People in Damascus, who have so far showed full support for the regime are now seeing that those protesting in Mezzeh were not terrorist gangs like the government claims,' he said.

Meanwhile, in the central province of Homs, the army continued its shelling of the restive areas of Baba Amr and Al-Khalidiyeh.

In the northern province of Idlib, which is known to be a hub of the opposition Free Syrian Army, activists said the area has been completely surrounded by troops backed by dozens of tanks.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 7,400 people have been killed since protests calling for the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad began in mid-March.

Information coming out of Syria is difficult to verify because of government restictions the media.