(Washington Post) Liz Sly - Syria's government asserted Monday that 120 soldiers had been killed by armed protesters in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour, amid indications that what began as a peaceful protest movement is turning into an armed rebellion in at least some parts of the country. Syrian activists confirmed that some residents had taken up arms to defend themselves. A human rights activist said people told him that a swath of villages around Jisr al-Shughour is now outside government control. "We do not deny shooting back," said a witness. "But you must know that we only shot back after they started killing us. They killed 35 in a few hours." "We killed some," he added. "The others were shot in the back for trying to defect." A video posted online Sunday showed protesters apparently hanging a captured member of the Syrian security forces in a central square, with no attempt by the authorities to intervene.
2011-06-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive