(Reuters) Khaled Yakoub Oweis - Syrian forces killed at least 32 civilians on Friday, including 23 in the capital Damascus. It was the highest death toll in the central neighborhoods of Damascus since the uprising erupted four months ago. "Tens of thousands of Damascenes took to the streets in the main districts for the first time," said one activist. A witness in the Rukn al-Din district of Damascus said hundreds of young men wearing white masks resisted security forces with sticks and stones. "Down Bashar al-Assad," they chanted. Iran is considering offering Syria $5.8 billion in financial help, including a three-month loan of $1.5 billion to be made available immediately, the French business newspaper Les Echos said, citing a report by a Tehran think-tank linked to Iran's leadership.
2011-07-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive