Syrian troops

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49 Syrian and Iraqi Troops Killed in Border Ambush

Fears increase that civil war will spill over into Iraq

(Newser) - At least 42 Syrian soldiers and seven Iraqi soldiers were killed in an ambush near a border crossing in Iraq today, sharpening fears that Syria's civil war could spill into Iraq and destabilize the region, the AP reports. The Syrian soldiers ( Reuters reports the group also included government...

Syrian Rebels Kill Top Assad General

Abdullah Mahmoud al-Khalidi was senior Air Force general

(Newser) - A senior Air Force general has been assassinated by members of the Free Syrian Army in Damascus late Monday, says Syria's state-run news channel. Rebels took responsibility for his death and claimed to have also killed an air force intelligence official in the fell swoop, reports the BBC . The...

Syrian Army Agrees to Holiday Truce

Ceasefire in effect for Eid al-Adha

(Newser) - The Syrian military says it will cease military operations for four days starting tomorrow in observance of a major Muslim holiday. In the announcement read on state TV today, however, the army said it would still respond to gunfire or roadside bombs and keep rebels from bolstering their positions or...

Turkey OKs Military Ops in Syria as Shelling Continues

Syria apologizes for civilian deaths

(Newser) - Turkey continued shelling Syria for a second day today, reportedly killing several government soldiers, after Syrian shells killed at least five civilians in a Turkish border town yesterday. In what a prime minister's aide calls a warning to Syria, Turkey's parliament today authorized military operations inside Syria, even...

Missing US Reporter Surfaces in Video

Presumed hostage Austin Tice marched up hill by masked crew

(Newser) - A US journalist missing for close to two months in Syria has appeared in a video apparently showing him being held hostage by a gang of masked gunmen. The 47-second clip, posted on YouTube, opens with shaky footage of a convoy of three vehicles in mountain terrain, then cuts to...

Record 100K Fled Syria Last Month: UN

And that's just the registered asylum seekers

(Newser) - Not only was August Syria's deadliest month yet , it was also the month that saw the highest number of refugees fleeing the country since the uprising began. Some 103,416 people "sought asylum in neighboring countries" last month, according to the UN, bringing the total number of registered...

Britain: We'll Boost Support for Syria Rebels

Regime's arsenal looks shaky

(Newser) - With Kofi Annan stepping down from his diplomatic post, Britain is trying to pick up the slack in Syria. Foreign Secretary William Hague today promised more "practical but non-lethal support to the opposition," citing "communications" as an example, Reuters reports. "We don't give up on...

Syria: We Weren't Behind Houla Massacre

Regime denies responsibility in shelling that killed 90 Friday

(Newser) - Syria's foreign ministry spokesman has denied government troops were behind an attack on a string of villages that left more than 90 people dead. Friday's assault on Houla , an area northwest of the central city of Homs, was one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old...

Syrian Ceasefire Blows Up
 Syrian Ceasefire Blows Up 
Apr 18, 2012 7:02 AM CDT

Syrian Ceasefire Blows Up

Regime uses helicopters and tanks, but says it's responding to opposition

(Newser) - Syria's tattered ceasefire appears to have basically collapsed, with activists accusing the regime of rampant and brazen violations yesterday, including sending helicopters to fire on rebels holed up in mountain villages, and shelling at least two cities, the New York Times reports. They reported death tolls as high as...

Troops Rounding Up, Killing Civilians: Fleeing Syrians

UN leaders to visit country this week

(Newser) - Following the departure of rebel fighters from the Baba Amr neighborhood , Syrian troops and pro-government militias have taken to the streets, rampantly grabbing, torturing, and killing men and boys, fleeing people tell the BBC . One woman said 35 males had been rounded up near her home, and two soldiers slit...

27 Young Men Shot Dead in Syria

Is the US considering arming the rebels?

(Newser) - Some 27 young men were shot dead when Syrian troops raided three villages in the northern province of Idlib, a human rights group said today. The latest bloodshed came as US officials appeared to open the door to arming the rebels if a political solution to clashes can't be...

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