Rebels Claim Gains as Homs Fighting Continues

Activists Say Rebel Fighters Expel Military From Rastan

Violence continued today across Syria, but the messages from opposition factions appear to be running at cross-purposes. On the one hand, some are describing massive civilian tolls and a city “under siege” in Homs, while others are claiming significant rebel gains.

Indeed, while some claimed rebel gains in certain neighborhoods of Homs, the opposition activists also claimed that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) had entirely expelled the Syrian military from Rastan.

Apart from being used to defend calls for an invaison, the pro-democracy protests seem to be an afterthought, with attention now turning to directly arming the FSA and other opposition factions in the civil war.

Still, any day in Homs has to produce at least one entertaining story, with the latest being claims that the opposition is using carrier pigeons to relay messages from neighborhood to neighborhood. Interestingly, they revealed their use of carrier pigeons on Youtube.

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.