BICOM

Syrian troops attacked villages in the Jebel Zawiya area of the country yesterday, close to the border with Turkey. According to reports, they were searching for armed defectors from the Syrian army who killed at least four soldiers and three others in the area in recent days. The Jebel Zawiya area is one of the places where armed opponents of the Assad regime are most active. The emergence of armed resistance to the Assad regime’s suppression of protests in Syria is one of the most noteworthy recent developments in Syria. Last week, Syrian troops fought running battles with rebels in the town of Rastan, north of Damascus.

A group calling itself the Free Syrian Army has emerged and is taking responsibility for attacks on soldiers. The town of Homs is the center of activities for this movement, which is led by former Syrian Air Force general Riad Asaad. According to the UN, 2,900 people are now thought to have been killed by Syrian forces and irregulars in their suppression of protests since the outbreak of an uprising against the Assad dictatorship in March.