LATEST: Opposition Coalition: No “Massacre” of Civilians in Maan in Hama Province
WEDNESDAY FEATURES
- Video: Was There A “Massacre” By Insurgents in Maan in Hama Province?
- Geneva II — No Advance Despite Brahimi’s “Tons of Patience”
UPDATE 1915 GMT: Limited aid and evacuation operations resumed on Wednesday in the Old City of Homs.
Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi said 217 civilians were evacuated from the area, bringing the total to more than 1,400 since Friday.
The Syrian Red Crescent said 190 food parcels and 4,700 kilograms (9,200 pounds) of flour were taken into the besieged Old City.
Aid and evacuation operations in the Old City of Homs were suspended on Tuesday, with local authorities citing “logistical and technical reasons”.
The effort has moved more than 1100 civilians since last Friday, but aid has been restricted by firing on United Nations convoys, killing five people. Limited amounts of food parcels and flour had made it to the area before Tuesday’s halt.
Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi said the aid mission would resume on Wednesday, with routes in and out of Homs being studied for the safety of the UN team and evacuees.
A cease-fire is nominally in place until Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, UN spokesman Melissa Fleming said 336 male evacuees have been interrogated by Syrian security services.
See Homs Evacuation — Dozens of Men Being Interrogated by Assad Forces
Syrian officials said those men who had carried out “terrorist” activities would be arrested. Those who have supported the opposition but recant will be released.
The UN agreed to the interrogations in return for acceptance of the aid mission by Damascus. A UN official said the questioning was being carried out under “general monitoring” by UN staff.
The UN said 41 men had been released, while al-Barazi put the number at 100.
(Featured Photo: Reuters)
Opposition Coalition: No “Massacre” of Civilians in Maan in Hama Province
The opposition Syrian National Coalition has issued a statement refuting the allegation that insurgents “massacred” civilians as they captured Maan in Hama Province last weekend.
Syrian State media declared that at least 20 civilians were slain. Mainstream media have also carried the unconfirmed claims of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
See Video: Was There A “Massacre” By Insurgents in Maan in Hama Province?
The Coalition said:
A battle took place on Sunday in the town of Maan between the Free Syrian Army and the Assad regime’s military forces and armed militia. The town, serving as a base for the regime until the battle, had been empty of civilians for over 6 months; inhabitants moved to other villages in the coastal area still under regime control….
Monzer Akbik, the Chief of Staff to Ahmed Jarba, President of the (Coalition) said: “It is important that events is Maan are clarified. There was a battle between the Free Syrian Army and the Assad forces. The village was evacuated of civilians more than six months ago. Those who were killed in that battle were killed in action –– no civilians were killed. The regime is trying to create a clouds of lies to cover up their crimes, like the barrel bombings we’ve recently seen.”
The village of Maan is on the road from Idlib to Damascus, passing by Hama, and therefore used by both the Free Syrian Army and regime forces. Now regime forces have been pushed out of this location, it protects the road from the east when used by Opposition forces.
“The regime’s state news agency spread this misinformation to cause pressure on the Syrian Opposition Coalition delegation during negotiations in Geneva,” Akram Alyan, Head of News with the SOC’s Geneva 2 Media Unit (said) today. “These accounts from the regime about massacres of civilians were entirely false. There is no evidence to support their claims. Nobody should not fall for such propaganda.”
Regime Attacks on Yabroud in Damascus Province
Activists report sustained regime attacks on Yabroud, northeast of Damascus.
An offensive against Yabroud has been awaited since the regime took nearby towns in its Qalamoun offensive, which began last November.
The activists report 11 airstrikes and artillery, wounding many in the town, and clashes on the ground.
The Qalamoun Media Center claims that insurgents have destroyed two regime tanks and damaged three.
Obama: “Enormous Frustration” But No Military Intervention
President Obama, speaking alongside visiting French counterpart Francois Hollande on Tuesday, said about Syria:
Nobody’s going to deny that there’s enormous frustration here.
Right now we don’t think that there is a military solution per se to the problem. But the situation’s fluid, and we are continuing to explore every possible avenue to solve this problem because it’s not just heartbreaking to see what’s happening to the Syrian people, it’s very dangerous for the region as a whole.
UN Security Council Begins Discussion of Draft Resolution for Aid to Besieged Areas
the UN Security Council began discussion on Tuesday of a draft resolution demanding access to besieged Syrian areas for humanitarian aid.
The resolution was presented by Australia, Luxembourg, and Jordan to the 15-member Council.
Russia dismissed the text as “detached from reality” last week, but Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said after the meeting, “We had a good exchange on the challenges of the humanitarian situation.”
According to French Ambassador Gerard Araud, Churkin told the Security Council that Russia was prepared to work on some form of resolution for aid, but not the present draft.
Araud said it was unclear when the UN body would vote on the text. Other diplomats said a decision was unlikely before next week.
