BICOM

Syrian President Bashar Assad’s security forces killed 19 opposition activists on Thursday, according to opposition reports. The killings took place in the mainly Sunni city of Homs, which has emerged as a focal point for the eight month uprising against the Syrian regime. Homs is also a focal point for the Free Syrian Army organisation, which is engaged in armed resistance against Assad, and consists largely of deserters from the Syrian armed forces.

According to Syrian opposition sources, the Free Syrian Army periodically takes control of areas of the city. Assad’s forces then engage in operations to wrest back control of the areas lost, which involve the practice of shelling of civilian neighbourhoods and the use of heavy armor. An operation of this type took place yesterday in the Bab al-Amr neighbourhood in the city, leading to the heavy loss of life.

In related news, the New York Times reported earlier this week that Turkey is protecting the Free Syrian Army. The report indicated that Turkey is providing shelter to the commander and dozens of members of the group and allowing them to orchestrate attacks across the border from inside a camp guarded by the Turkish military. Turkish support for the Free Syrian Army comes amid a broader Turkish campaign to undermine Assad’s regime. Turkey is expected to impose sanctions soon on Syria, and it has extended its support for an umbrella political opposition group known as the Syrian National Council, which announced its formation in Istanbul earlier in the year.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Syria since mass protests erupted in mid-March, according to the United Nations. The government says more than 1,000 security officers have lost their lives.