LATEST: Fighting in Homs
A useful illustration on Saturday of news and exaggeration from Homs, Syria’s third-largest city….
Syrian forces maintained pressure on insurgents in the city throughout the day with shelling and airstrikes, confirmed by videos. The attacks appeared to be heaviest in the Khalidiya section, damaging the historic Khalid Ibn al-Walid mosque.
That in itself — given the regime’s claim to control all of Homs since a February 2012 offensive, but apparently still trying to push out insurgents 16 months later — is notable. However, mainstream media — including Reuters, AFP, the BBC, and Al Jazeera — went farther, declaring “a major offensive” by ground forces.
The sum total of “evidence” for that claim appears to have been one sentence from an activist, Abu Mohammad, “Government forces are trying to storm from all fronts,” and the omnipresent press statements from the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
This morning, there is no sign of a major regime ground assault on the insurgent-held areas or, indeed, that there was one on Saturday — just as the days of declarations earlier this month of a final regime effort, assisted by Hezbollah, to re-take all of the city came to nothing.
Footage: Fierce Fighting In Key Northern Damascus District Of Barzeh continues
Footage from Sunday shows houses in the strategic Barzeh neighborhood in Northern Damascus burning after heavy regime shelling.
This short video shows regime forces in Hanbali Street in the neighborhood, apparently in an attempt to retrieve bodies:
In this video, regime forces target insurgents with heavy machine gun fire:
Barzeh is of great strategic importance to both Assad and the insurgency, because of its location on the northern edge of the capital. If the regime gained control over Barzeh, it would effectively have control over access to the adjacent Qaboun neighborhood as well as controlling the eastern and northern countryside area around Damascus. From Barzeh, the regime would be able to strike other opposition-controlled areas within the capital including Jobar to the west. Fighting has raged in the district for months, with both sides trying desperately to gain the upper hand.
Fighting in Homs
A reliable EA source brings news from Homs:
It seems way more serious than the usual siege and its occasional clashes. Lots of PDF shabiha [pro-regime militia] carried to the free areas.
Also many reports on Hezbollah involvement. Bombardment heavier than before. Most artillery and surface-to-surface rockets but also more air strikes.
A usually calm SRC [Syrian Revolutionary Council] called it a major battle.
Footage, Photos: Insurgents Use Russian Mortars To Hit Military Research Facility near Damascus
Footage posted on Sunday shows insurgents from the Capital Armor Brigade in Harasta, northern Damascus, using a cache of Russian 120 mm mortars to attack the military Scientific Studies and Research Center in Barzeh. The map below shows the location of Harasta and the research facility.
There are two videos, both timestamped, that show two mortars being fired:
Photos on the brigade’s Facebook page help identify the mortars as Russian:
The Cyrillic text reads ТД-53. Russian mortars usually have details of their high explosive fillers printed as a headstamp. TD shows the percentages of TNT and Dinitronaphtalene.
The mortars were likely obtained by looting.
All Is Well Report: State Media Highlight Must-See Tourist Spots In Damascus
Despite reports of continued heavy fighting in Damascus, Syrian State media outlet SANA continues undaunted in its efforts to promote the Syrian capital as an idyllic tourist spot.
In this report on Saturday, SANA brings us highlights from the must-see Al-Salhyia Market, which it describes as “a commercial hub and a tourist destination for Syrians and foreigners that is still vibrant today”.
A photo essay brings the charming market to life, including this image showing corn-on-the-cob being sold by a local street seller:
Casualties
The Local Coordination Committees claim 75 people were killed on Saturday, including 19 martyrs in Aleppo Province and 16 in Damascus and its suburbs.
The Violations Documentation Center reports that 64,994 people have been slain since the start of the conflict in March 2011, an increase of 88 since Friday. Of these, 49,821 were civilians, a rise of 67 from yesterday.
