PHOTO: Claimed image of protest in downtown Latakia this weekend


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Developing: Rebels Advance in Hama Offensive, Regime Falls Back on Key Military Bases
Assad Regime — “What War? Please Enjoy The New 5-Star Resort Hotel”


Protesters have taken to the streets of Latakia in western Syria after President Assad’s cousin allegedly killed a military officer in a road rage incident.

The city on the Mediterranean coast is considered an essential base of support for the Assad regime in the 4 1/2-year conflict.

On Thursday night, Suleiman Hilal al-Assad killed Colonel Hassan Al-Sheikh of the Syrian Army’s Engineering Corps, according to witnesses. The murder was spurred by a minor accident that damaged Assad’s jeep,

About 1000 people gathered on Saturday night near a-Ziraa roundabout in central Latakia, with signs such as “The people want the execution of Suleiman”. A claimed video features loud but indistinct chants:

On Saturday morning, the Governor of Latakia Province, Ibrahim Khodor Al-Salem, responded with a statement that there will be a full investigation into the murder. He asserted that no person is above the Syrian justice system.

Al-Assad’s Facebook page has a number of defiant entries, with the last placing him in Lebanon’s capital Beirut. He called the protesters “dogs” and urged them “keep howling” as they would “get what’s coming”: “Everyone who has done me wrong will have their turn.”

The Colonel’s brother insisted in a radio interview, “We want the criminal to be punished and executed given he is a terrorist.”

Suleiman al-Assad was nominally the head of Military Housing in Latakia. He was accused by some of criminal behavior, with one resident asserting:

[He has been] a thug since his teenage years. [His gang] are notorious for rape and ransom kidnappings, and their headquarters at sports city is a Bermuda Triangle for their detainees.

Assad’s father, Hilal Al-Assad, was a first cousin of the President. After building a fortune from smuggling and a position in a construction company owned by the Defense Ministry, he was put in charge of one of the newly-formed militias in 2012. He was killed in March 2014 in fighting in Kassab in northern Latakia Province.


Video: Jabhat al-Nusra Hands Positions in Northern Aleppo Province to Rebels

Preparing for “safe zones” in northern Aleppo Province, Jabhat al-Nusra hands positions near Azaz to rebels:

Jabhat al-Nusra fighters are reportedly deploying near Aleppo, in preparation for a possible offensive in Syria’s largest city. The move also is intended to shield them from the US airstrikes that have targeted the group since last September.


Regime Tightens Siege of Moadamiya, Southwest of Damascus

Syrian forces have tightened the long-term siege of the Damascus suburb of Moadamiya.

The army has built an earth berm, approximately four metres (13 feet) high, blocking the last route to the town.

Moadamiyeh has also been bombarded, with reports of residents killed and injured. Medics in the town’s remaining field hospital are pleading for evacuation of those who are in the worst condition.

Moadamiya has been cut off from food and supplies since late 2012. Scores died from starvation and lack of medical care before a truce in 2014. Despite the truce, the Syrian military has continued to limit access to food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.

About 45,000 people remain in the suburb.


Islamic State Advances in Village in Aleppo Province

The Islamic State has hit back at rebels in northern Aleppo Province, taking most of the village of Um Hosh after two vehicle bombs and firefights.

The fighting is to the east of the town of Mare’, which has been the frontline for months in battles between the rebels and Islamic State.

Rebels had taken Um Hosh at the start of June.


Islamic State Kills Red Crescent Volunteer in Detention in Raqqa

Citizen journalist and EA contributor Abdurahman Harkoush reports that the Islamic State have killed a Red Crescent volunteer in detention:


Protesters in Kafranbel Skeptical Over UN’s Chemical Weapons Enquiry

Protesters in Kafranbel in northwest Syria, known for their banners, are skeptical about last week’s UN Security Council resolution endorsing an enquiry into responsibility for chemical attacks:

KAFRANBEL UN CW PROTEST 08-15

Almost two years after attacks by the Assad regime killed up to 2,000 near Damascus — and following months of assaults with chlorine gas — the Security Council unanimously backed the establishment of a Joint Investigative Mechanism inside Syria.

See Syria Daily, August 8: UN Finally Approves Enquiry Into Responsibility for Chemical Attacks


State Media: 11 Killed in Damascus by Rebel Shelling

State news agency SANA reports that 11 people were killed and 46 injured by rebel shelling in Damascus on Saturday.

A “police source” said a shell from Jobar in northeast Damascus had hit a main shopping area, killing 10 people, including three people. He said 40 others were injured, some critically.

Another person died in al-Abbasiyeen, near Jobar.

Rebels have held most of the Jobar district since early 2013, despite persistent regime bombardment and ground offensives.

See Video: Rebels Fighting Off Regime Attack on Jobar in Damascus