At Least 24 Killed as Syria Crackdown Continues

At least 24 more people were killed today across Syria in a series of crackdowns and a reported attack on Syrian troops in central Syria. The vast majority of the slain were civilians, but Syria’s state media also claimed six soldiers killed in an ambush.

The violence marks continued public protests against the Assad regime and months of security forces attacking the demonstrators under the assumption that the attacks will eventually end the nationwide rallies.

A new offensive was also launched in the city of Hama, which demonstrators believe is an attempt by the regime to track down the city’s Attorney General, who disappeared in what protesters are calling a high profile defection but which regime officials still believe is a kidnapping.

Whichever the case, the violent crackdowns have taken a major toll on the Assad regime’s already shaky international standing, and the loss of officials is just going to bolster the belief that the government is slowly but surely crumbling in the face of massive opposition.

 

 

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.