Firat News: Fierce clashes in Serekaniye, eight dead, five wounded ANF – Serêkaniyê16.07.2013
Eight militants of Syria’s Al Nusra Front were killed and at least five others were wounded in clashes in the Kurdish city of Serekaniye on Tuesday.
Early Tuesday afternoon, Al Nusra launched an attack targeting a patrolling car of Women’s Defense Forces (YPJ) affiliated to People’s Defense Forces (YPG). Clashes broke out after the attack in the neighborhood of Mehede in Serekaniye at around 11:30 local time.
The Front carried out another attack against a group of YPG fighters while negotiating with them over the release of the YPG militant, the driver of the patrolling car, who was detained by the group after the attack. He was rescued later by YPG fighters.
According to the reports by YPG forces, YPG fighters have taken the control of the central station of Emil Mislimin group affiliated to the Al Nusra Front.
One YPG fighter has lost his life in clashes which are reported to be continuing in the area near northern Kurdistan region.
Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reported that the wounded militants of the group have been taken to the public hospital in Urfa’s Ceylanp?nar district. Five are receiving treatment in the hospital, two reportedly in critical situation.
On the other hand, DIHA reported that 15-year-old Mehmet Gündüz in Ceylanp?nar’s Mehmet Akif Ersoy neighborhood was wounded after being hit on the head by a bullet fired from Al Nusra Front’s area in Serekaniye.
The minor who was critically wounded has been taken into intensive care at Ceylanp?nar public hospital.
People in the district gathered in front of the hospital and protested against security officers for not ensuring the life safety of the people.
In the meantime, a group of Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants have reportedly attacked YPG check point in Gire Fate in the town of Girke Lege in western Kurdistan late Tuesday evening. Three YPG fighters have been wounded in the attack. Clashes in the region are continuing. Many militants of the group have been reported dead or wounded in clashes with YPG fighters.
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:
– In Idlib 3 civilians and 2 rebel fighters were killed. 2 men were shot by sniper in Idlib city. 1 child was killed by bombardment on the Mar’iyan town of Reef Idlib. 2 rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces in the perimeter of the al-Joumi and Ma’mal al-Batata (the potato factory) checkpoints of Reef Idlib.
– In Aleppo 4 civilians and 4 rebel fighters were killed. 2 civilians were shot by sniper in the al-Achrafiya neighbourhood near the Hanano baracks of Aleppo city. 2 unidentified men were found dead on the road between the towns of Tqad and Tdil of Reef Aleppo. 1 rebel fighter from Aleppo city was killed by clashes with regular forces in the Daraiya city of Reef Dimashq. 3 rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces in the neighbourhoods of al-Rashidein and Karm al-Jabal of Aleppo city.
-In Reef Dimashq 4 civilians and 7 rebel fighters were killed. 3 men from the cities of al-Zabadani and Bloudan were tortured to death under regime detainment. 1 woman was killed by bombardment on the al-Mleiha town of Reef Dimashq. 1 rebel fighter from the Kanaker town was killed by clashes with regualr forces in the al-Qahtaniya village of Reef al-Qneitra. 6 rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces in the towns and cities of M’adamiyat al-Sham, Harasta, al-Mleiha and Beit Sahem.
– In Damascus 1 man and 1 rebel fighter were killed. 1 man was killed by a shell that fell on the Yarmouk camp. 1 rebel died of wounds received days earlier by bombardment on the al-Qaboun neighbourhood.
– In Dera’a 12 civilians and 5 rebel fighters were killed. 12 civilians, including 2 children, were killed by shells and aerial bombardment on the towns of Nawa, al-Sheikh Muskin and Busra al-Sham of Reef Dera’a. 5 rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces and bombardment on the Nawa town.
– In Homs 7 civilians were killed. 3, including a child, were killed by bombardment on the al-Rastan city and the Burj al-Biqa’ village of al-Hola area in Reef Homs. 2 civilians, including a woman, were shot in the al-Hamrat village of Reef Homs. 1 man from the al-Khaldiya neighbourhood was tortured to death under regime detainment. 1 from the Baba A’mru neighbourhood was killed when a military checkpoint targeted his car in Reef Homs.
– In Hama 5 civilians were killed. 3, including 2 children, were killed by bombardment on the al-Latamna town of Reef Hama. 2 civilians were killed by an IED attack on their motorcycles on the Tal Darra-al-Ramliya road of the Salamiya city.
– In Deir Izzor 1 man and 2 rebel fighters were killed. 1 man from the Kanamat neighbourhood of Deir Izzor city was killed by a shell that fell on the Hatla village of Reef Deir Izzor. 1 rebel fighter was shot by regular forces on the al-Siyasiya bridge of the city. 1 rebel fighter was shot by sniper in the al-Risafa neighbourhood of Deir Izzor city.
– In al-Qneitra 1 rebel fighter was killed by clashes with regular forces in the al-Qahtaniya village of Reef al-Qneitra.
– In al-Hasaka 1 man was shot by sniper on the Ras al-A’in- Tal Half road of Reef al-Hasaka.
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– Reports that 14 civilians were killed. 9 were killed by shells and bombardment on the provinces al-Hasaka, Hama, Damascus and Dera’a. 2 men from Damascus city were tortured to death in regime prisons. 3 civilians, including 2 children and 1 woman, were shot by sniper in the cities of Aleppo and Damascus.
– 4 civilians and 2 rebel fighters were documented as killed earlier by clashes with regular forces, bombardment and gunfire in several areas.
– Activists confirmed that regular forces targeted a rebel troop carrier 2 days earlier and a civilian car on the A’zaz road near the A’in Daqqa village which led to the death of at least 5 rebel fighters.
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– 5 fighters (4 from al-Nusra and 1 YPG) were killed by clashes between both sides in the Ras al-A’in city of Reef al-Hasaka.
– At least 10 unidentified rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces and bombardment on several Syrian provinces.
– 4 non-Syrian rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces and bombardment on several areas.
– 4 combatants, including 1 officer, from the pro regime national defence forces were killed by clashes and attacks on machineries.
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– At least 24 regular soldiers were killed by bombardment, attacks on checkpoints, clashes and sniper fire in several Syrian provinces: 8 in Dera’a, 5 Idlib, 5 Damascus and Reef Dimashq, 2 Hama, 1 Deir Izzor, 1 Homs and 2 in Aleppo.
Aleppo province: Regular forces detained a university student from the chemical engineering college of Aleppo university and took him to an unknown place. 4 shells fell between the Ourm al-Kubra and Ourm al-Sughra towns of western Reef Aleppo, no reports of human losses so far. 1 civilian from the Salah Iddine neighbourhood was killed by a shell that fell on his house. 1 civilian from the Bash village was shot by a regime sniper in the al-Dabita street of al-Achrafiya neighbourhood.
Damascus province: Several were injured by bombardment on areas in the perimeter of the al-Hajar al-Aswad neighbourhood. Areas in the Jobar neighbourhood were bombarded by regular forces, no reports of human losses. The al-Qaboun neighbourhood was subject to bombardment, no reports of casualties. Clashes broke out between rebel and regular forces in the entrances of the Yarmouk camp, along with shells on the area which led to material losses with no reports of injuries.
Dera’a province: 8 were killed so far in the Nawa town, 3 rebel fighters were killed by clashes with regular forces and bombardment on the town, 5 civilians (2 children and 3 men) were killed by shells and aerial bombardment on the town which led as well to several injuries. Reports that several other rebel fighters were killed by clashes in the town. Reports that rebel fighters took hold of 10 military checkpoints in the Nawa city.
Update on the clashes between al-Nusra and YPG in Hasakah province: Hasakah province: 4 al-Nusra were killed, and 3 others were injured, by the ongoing clashes with the YPG in Ras al-Ein (Serekaniyeh) city after al-Nusra fighters attacked a YPG Women’s Defence Unit patrol. The YPG has managed to free their detained member by al-Nusra. YPG fighters have also taken over the al-Nusra base in the Political Security branch building, which was renamed by the jihadis into “Muslim Security”, several heavy machine-guns and other weapons were commandeered by the YPG as a result. Reports that the YPG also took control of the Ba’ath Party branch, which was under the Nusra and rebel control. Sporadic clashes continue by the al-Shabiba base in al-Mahatta neighborhood.
REUTERS: Syria rebels reinforce key suburb in Damascus battle
BEIRUT – Syrian rebels poured reinforcements into a key Damascus suburb on Tuesday in an attempt to push back government troops who have renewed their campaign to secure the capital and build on battlefield gains elsewhere in the country. | Video
Fighting centred on Qaboun, a rebel-held district where Syrian troops backed by tanks and artillery had made inroads on Monday as part of efforts to consolidate control over Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad’s power base.
After two years of rebel gains in a war that has cost more than 90,000 lives, the tide has turned somewhat for Assad’s forces, allowing them to seize the city of Qusair last month and press on with a campaign to link Damascus to Assad’s coastal strongholds.In facing down the mainly Sunni rebels seeking to oust him, the Syrian leader has received important backing from Shi’ite Iran and from Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon as the war takes on an increasingly sectarian aspect.
At the same time, the rebels are plagued by infighting between Islamist groups and members of the more liberal Free Syrian Army, which is backed by the West and some Arab nations.
The increasingly fragmented and brutal nature of the war was illustrated by an incident in Homs province, where gunmen loyal to Assad shot dead at least six mediators sent to try to reconcile warring sectarian groups in an area where opposing sides had until now been able to coexist.
Residents said the killings on Monday evening in the village of Hajar al-Abyad highlighted the growing challenge of mediating between towns held by rebel groups and those controlled by pro-Assad militias known as “shabbiha”.
In a separate incident near the Turkish border in the north, Islamist rebel fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front clashed with Kurdish armed men, who generally support the creation of an autonomous region within Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group, said the fighting broke out after Nusra fighters attacked a Kurdish patrol and took a gunman hostage.
The Kurds said they had killed eight Nusra Front militants in what they said was a territorial dispute.
PRESSING CAMPAIGN
Assad’s forces are pressing their campaign at a time when the Free Syrian Army has yet to receive weapons promised by Washington but delayed by objections by U.S. lawmakers.
A U.S. official said on Monday that the Obama administration had made progress in overcoming these concerns but some details remained unresolved.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers fear the weapons could end up in the hands of Islamist militants, and would not be enough to tip the balance against the better-equipped Syrian government anyway.
Britain, meanwhile, said it would give Syrian rebels equipment to protect themselves against chemical and biological weapons as “a matter of special urgency”.
Britain has said forces loyal to Assad have made limited use of chemical weapons, which the Syrian government denies.
In an attempt at unity, the Syrian opposition now intends to create a 10-member executive council that can to draw together disparate factions into a more structured army with better financing and weapons, Michel Kilo, a senior opposition figure, told Reuters in Paris.
In Damascus, the latest fighting comes almost a year after one of the rebels’ most spectacular attacks in the capital – a bomb attack last July 18 which killed several of Assad’s most senior security officials and led some commentators to predict Assad would soon fall.
Abu Nidal, a rebel spokesman in Damascus, said on Tuesday that his fighters were trying to prevent the army advancing further into Qaboun, which it entered on Monday.
“Rebel reinforcements are entering the area,” he told Reuters by Skype. “We expect the army to advance further into the area but they will be stopped.”
The intensity of the fighting could be seen in footage posted on the internet by opposition activists.
The amateur video showed a large grey plume of smoke rising from a densely built residential area of Damascus. Mount Qasioun, which overlooks the capital, can be seen in the background.
Text accompanying the footage posted on Tuesday said the smoke came from a ground-to-ground missile fired into Qaboun.
ARMY CHECKPOINT
Elsewhere in the city, nine people including a child were killed at an army checkpoint, the Observatory said in a statement. Quoting activists in the area, the British-based group said they were all shot in the head.
It added that mortar bombs were being fired by the army into the southern district of Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of central Damascus that has fallen in and out of government and rebel control during the past year.
Activists and residents said also that at least five mortar shells hit the Damascus neighbourhood of Masaken Barze, injuring several people.
Clashes and bombardment were reported by activists in nearly every province on Tuesday, from central Homs city to the northwestern farming province of Idlib to the eastern desert city of Deir al-Zor.
In the south of Syria near the Israeli border, the Observatory reported clashes between rebels and government forces in the village of al-Qahtaniya.
“Initial reports indicate that several fighters in the regime forces were killed, and some armoured vehicles were destroyed,” the Observatory said.
(Editing by Giles Elgood)
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