At Least 20 Killed as Syrian Troops Clash With Defectors

Civilians Killed in North as Violence Rages in South

Reports coming out of various regions in Syria say that at least 20 people were killed today, including a number of soldiers loyal to Bashar Assad’s regime who were killed in fighting in the southern provinces.

10 civilians were killed in Banash, a town in the far northwest of the country, when regime soldiers and tanks attacked the town. Reports say the soldiers clashes with armed protesters upon entering the town.

The violence in the south, however, was almost entirely centered around military forces, with regime troops fighting with defectors in Daraa as well as Homs. At least seven of those slain in the south were soldiers.

The European Union responded to the latest flurry of violence by announcing a new round of sanctions on the regime, including targeting the state-owned Commercial Bank, a move they say essentially cuts off Syrian business from Europe.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.