The Syrian regime on Thursday continued its crackdown on dissent as it sent security forces into a northwestern village, rights activists said. "A force comprising seven armored vehicles and 10 jeeps stormed the village of Ibleen in Jabal Al-Zawiyah (region) in search of people wanted by the security services," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.
According to rights activists, on Wednesday Syrian force killed 23 people, 21 of them in a tank-backed raid on the central city of Homs. The Syrian Observatory said "military reinforcements including 20 truckloads of troops entered the city," and that there was "intense gunfire in the market and governorate headquarters."
Eight soldiers and five "insurgents" were killed Homs, the official Sana news agency reported, adding that "dozens" of soldiers were wounded by "armed terrorists who attacked civilians and security forces" across the city. "Security forces succeeded in eliminating them and five of the armed criminals were killed," Sana said.
