34 Reported Killed as Violence Once Again Seen Rising in Syria

Syria Agrees to Extend Arab League Monitors' Stay

Violence appears to be on the rise again today in Syria, with the opposition reporting 34 people have been killed nationwide. This includes at least six Syrian soldiers slain in Damascus and eight people killed in a roadside bombing in Idlib.

Opposition figures were quick to blame the regime for the Idlib bombing, claiming soldiers planted the explosives. This would be an unusual tactic for the Syrian military.

The Syrian government has also announced that it is willing to extend the Arab League’s mission in the country by an additional month. The current mandate expires on Thursday.

But whether the Arab League will continue with its current monitor mission is unclear. The Qatari Emir has been leading calls for the Arab League to abandon the monitoring in favor of a military invasion, and the US has also been demanding that the Arab League end the mission.

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.