Syrian Forces storm Dara, deploy tanks against the demonstrators

April 25, 2011, 5 pm EDT by Donna Abu-Nasr

Updates with militant comments from first paragraph.) See EXTRA for more the Middle East unrest).

April 25 (Bloomberg) - security forces Syrians stormed the city of Dara, in the South, the site of the events more sustained against President Bashar al-Assad, killing at least five people, witnesses said today.Tanks Dara came on the eve of four fronts, Abdullah, one of the witnesses, said in an interview by satellite phone, punctuated by the sound shots. Abdallah, who would provide only his surname because of concerns for his safety, said that he saw 20 bodies scattered through the streets of the city. Three he helped pull a street belonged to the family al-Shafran, according to their identity cards he said.Mohsen, another witness, said in an interview with Dara tanks opened fire against people who met in groups and at least five killed.The Syria has intensified violent repression against demonstrators, in the past week, leaving more than 100 dead. Decision Assad to end a State of emergency in place for half a century and promises of future political and economic measures, has failed to halt the spread of protests against his regime echoing those that toppled Egypt and Tunisiathe leaders of this year.The Syria is an ally of the Iran and a power broker in neighbouring countries to the Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah, a group armed with Shia Muslims. Assad and other officials say conspirators-backed foreign are seeking to exploit the expression of legitimate popular demands as a pretext for violence. "State in Danger'The assault of Dara was a bid by the Government to eradicate"armed insurrection"by groups using advanced weapons against the security forces, said Imad Fawzi Shueibi, who heads the Center for strategic studies and the data, in a telephone interview from Damascus today. "The question at the moment is to suppress the insurrection,"after the use of violence by demonstrators"models replaced for civilian applications,"he says. "The State is in a dangerous situation."Mahmoud Merhi, who heads the Arab Organization for human rights, said in an interview today that nine people were killed in the coast of Jableh City yesterday after security forces opened fire to prevent movement in the streets. That brings the number of people killed during the four days of 135, while nearly 300 people were arrested, said.United States finds SanctionsViolence in Syria led to the United States to consider measures, including sanctions against the officials of the Assad regime that led to repression, an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President Barack Obama April 23, condemned "the scandalous use of violence" by the Syrian security forces.Abdullah, the witness of Dara, said telephone lines and power in the region have been cut and Government forces opened fire as a tactical scare to prevent residents of the demonstration. As he spoke, the sound of gunfire followed by a landing nearby shell could be heard. Abdullah said that he had to hang up because he wanted to take refuge.The cities of Nawa and Duma have been also surrounded by security forces, with lines telephone cut residents and only permitted access, said Merhi.Faisal al-Haymad, Vice-President of the Chamber of commerce of Dara, said al-Jazeera yesterday that he is resigned to protest against the repression of the regime and said that nowHe joined the opposition.Sheikh Ahmad al-Sayasneh, the imam of the mosque in Dara Omari and a member of a delegation which held talks with Assad, after the first wave of violence last month said yesterday that it has joined the protesters. The imam said in an interview with al-Jazeera, he hides as security forces were looking for him because he had denounced the as "killers." "We have reached a point of no return with them after they killed our sons, and there is no place for discussions," said.

-Editors: Andrew j. Barden, Patrick Harrington, Ben Holland.

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To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew j. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

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Syrian forces kill 5 protesters: reports

The coffin of a demonstrator is carried in a funeral procession, in the suburbs of the State Duma, of Damascus, in this still image taken of sequences social networking sites downloaded Sunday amateur video. Social media/Reuters

Syrian security forces opened fire on demonstrators of the opposition, on Monday, killing five people, according to witnesses.

In Dara, in the South of the country, a witness who spoke to the Associated Press if anonymity said army tanks and soldiers moved into the city and could be heard. An eyewitness said he saw five bodies in a car that security forces had attacked.

DARA has been at the centre of protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

A Jordanian official who spoke the condition of anonymity said that Syria had closed it border post with the near Dara Jordan, perhaps to avoid the protesters to leave the country. A Syrian customs official, however, insisted that the border was open.

During this time, in the suburbs of Damascus in the Duma, witnesses said security forces closed the area before opening fire.

The speaks of witnesses to condition their names not be used because of fear of reprisal

Rights groups say that more than 300 people died, including the 112 April 22 only, since the start of anti-Government protests in mid-March.

On Sunday, based in New York from Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation of the United Nations for the Suppression of the Syrian Government against demonstrators.

The group called on the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions Syrian new officials.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Canada advised Canadians against travel in Syria and said to Canadians living in the country to leave by commercial facilities while they are still available. The Ministry said those requiring emergency assistance should contact the Embassy of the Canada in Damascus.

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The Thai forces and Cambodian shock to 3rd day

Fighting erupted again Sunday along the border of Cambodia and the Thailand after two days of clashes that killed at least 10 soldiers and forced the evacuation of thousands of civilians.

A Cambodian soldier stands guard in July last to a gateway to the temple of Preah Vihear on the Thai border Cambodia. (Heng Sinith/Associated Press)

The dispute between the neighbours stems from their competing claims over small strips of land along the border, with nationalist political fuelling tensions. Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when temple of Preah Vihear 11th century Cambodia was granted the status of A World Heritage Thai objections.

The current round of clashes, which began Friday, are the first border skirmishes reported since February, when eight soldiers and civilians have been killed near the temple of Preah Vihear. The latest fighting took place about 160 kilometres west of here.

Colonel Suos Sothea, a commander Cambodian, confirmed evidence that a battle of artillery began at the border shortly before 10: 00 a.m. local time on Sunday. In Bangkok, the Thai army spokesman colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd reports the same information.

There was no immediate reports of victims.

Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, has called for Cambodia and the Thailand to implement an effective and verifiable ceasefire.

A declaration of an end Saturday said ban believes that the dispute cannot be resolved by military means, so the two countries must engage in a serious dialogue to resolve the underlying problems.

Outbreak of Sunday came after it appeared that calm could have been restored. Witnesses on the Cambodian side said an important border post which had been closed for two days was reopened and Thai media said some some 20 000 civilians who had been evacuated from the combat zone began to move to the House.

Each side accused of the departure of the latest fighting, which involved mainly artillery duels long distance to the other.

Thai villagers seek shelter Saturday in a makeshift refugee camp set up in a school about 30 kilometres from the Thai-Cambodia border. Thousands of villagers were evacuated from the region in cross-border hostilities. (Sukree Sukplang/Reuters)

The Thailand dismissed charges Saturday that he had used chemical weapons against the Cambodian troops.

A statement by the Cambodian Defence Ministry charged that the Thailand had shot 75 and 105-mm shells at "loading of the toxic gas" in Cambodian territory, but has no details. A Cambodian field commander said separately that the Thailand had used two shells of cluster - anti-personnel weapons banned by many countries - and the artillery shells that gave a debilitating gas.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Thais allegations were not true, and colonel Tawatchai Samutsakorn, Commander of 2nd army region the Thailand, denied that submunitions or toxic gas bombs had been employed by its forces.

Tawatchai said a Thai soldier died Saturday, bringing the victim toll to four dead and 17 injured. Suos Sothea said three Cambodian soldiers were killed Saturday, with victims of Cambodia's two days to six. Suos Sothea said he could not give a precise count of the injured.

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The Thais, Cambodians temple shock forces

Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed Friday at a temple in a disputed border area, with reports indicating that four soldiers were killed.

The two sides exchanged fire rockets, machine guns and rifles to a temple in Ta Krabey in the province of Surin of Thailand.

Spokesperson of the Thai army's colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the fighting began at dawn and lasted more than an hour.

SERM Chainarong, the Governor of the province of Surin, said that the authorities are preparing to evacuate approximately 5,000 people in the region.

Ministry of Cambodian defence lieutenant-general Chhum Socheat spokesman three Cambodian soldiers were killed and six wounded, while a Thai army spokesman said one Thai soldier was killed.

Thai lieutenant colonel Siriya Khuangsirikul said both sides "are in the midst of negotiating a ceasefire."

The two countries were locked in an old conflict for several decades on the temples and the land that surrounds them. Nationalist fervor in the two countries has recently fueled the conflict.

In February, at least eight people were killed when the two countries have exchanged artillery and gunfire in the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which is approximately 250 kilometres from the site of the clash Friday.

Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, where Preah Vihear was designated a United Nations World Heritage site.

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Pro-Gaddafi forces shell rebel front line

Libyan Government forces bombarded outpost of the first main line of the rebels of Ajdabiya Saturday, forcing the fighters to withdraw and open fire with their own heavy weapons in an attempt to contain the city.

As the bombing intensified, a major explosion has occurred on the outskirts of the city and threw up a mushroom cloud. It was not immediately clear whether it was a NATO airstrike, or a part of the battle of soil, but the bombing ceased shortly after.

The Government attacks Ajdabiya has rapidly changed the fortunes of the rebels who had sent more units to the strategic port oil Brega, 65 kilometres of Ajdabiya and captured two soldiers loyal to Muammar al-Gaddafi.

It is unclear if government troops would be a surge of their own in the eastern town of Ajdabiya, almost deserted by civilians. But the takeover of the city could open the way to the rebel bastion of Benghazi and the Eastern port of Tobruk near the Egyptian border.

Most of the rebel forces be withdrawn to Ajdabiya when the bombing began, but later appeared to attempt a counter-offensive with heavy machine guns and rockets. Black smoke rose from some parts of the city and some buildings were ablaze.

Earlier, the rebels had pushed deeper into Brega, a price key in the battles of back-and-suite with Government forces.

Rebels say that they took two prisoners after a clash with soldiers near Bright Star University of Brega, outside oil facilities controlled by the Government, marking a significant breakthrough by rebels against the forces of Gaddafi.

The Eastern Libyan port changed hands more than five times since the beginning of the revolt against the domination of Kadhafi in February. Storage of oil and port facilities are strategic for both parties.

Rebels have grouped together on the front lines after a retirement of mass Thursday when NATO air strikes hit a rebel armoured column.

In the West of the Libya, the Red Cross said that a rescue ship reached the town only held by the rebels, Misrata, which was the scene of fighting heavy Friday.

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Military power of the forces of Gaddafi intact

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Libyan government forces on Tuesday unleashed a withering bombardment of rebel forces trying to take back a key oil town, pushing them back even as the regime said Muammar Gadhafi might consider some reforms goal wouldn't can't be stepping down.

The rebels managed to take part of oil town of Brega the day before, aided by an international air campaign that has pounded Gadhafi's heavy weapons, but the rocket and tank bombardment unleashed on the rebels indicates the government's offensive capabilities remain intact.

A rebel fighter stands in front of two burning vehicles used by forces loyal to Muammar Gadhafi after they were hit by a NATO airstrike on the eastern outskirts of Brega on Tuesday. Andrew Winning/Reuters

"When you see this, the situation is very bad." "we cannot match their weapons," said Kamal Mughrabi, 64, a retired soldier who joined the rebel army. "If the plane don 't come back and hit them we' ll have to keep pulling back."

Early on Tuesday, there was an airstrike against a convoy of eight government vehicles advancing toward rebel positions, rebel officer Abdel-Bast Abibi said, citing monitoring teams. The strike hit two of the vehicles, prompting the others to turn around and race back into the city,

Control of Brega's small refinery and Mediterranean port could significantly boost the rebels' hunt for revenues they can use to purchase heavy weapons for the fight against Gadhafi's army.

Rebel forces have been helped by the arrival on the front of more trained soldiers and heavier weapons, but they are still struggling to match the better trained and equipped government troops, even with the aid of airstrikes.

The government has softened its public stance against any compromise that would end the fighting, but government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said late Monday that any changes must be led by Gadhafi, who has ruled the country for more than four decades.

"We could have any political system, any changes: constitution, election, anything, but the leader has to lead this forward," he said in Tripoli.

"Don't decide our future from abroad, give us a proposal for change from within," Ibrahim said, chastising Western powers who have a "personal problem with the leader" and economic interests they believe would be better served if Gadhafi's government collapsed.

The comments were unlikely to appease the rebels fighting to oust the Libyan leader who has a legacy of brutality. Any long-term settlement poses tough questions about the fate of Gadhafi's family and the new leader of a post-Gadhafi nation, and the opposition has rejected any solution that would involved one of his sons taking power.

The head of the African Union, meanwhile, voiced his support for Gadhafi, calling for the end to foreign interference into what he called an internal Libyan problem.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the 69-year-old president of Equatorial Guinea, described Western military efforts to enforce a no. - fly zone over Libya as a "so-called humanitarian intervention."

Purpose elsewhere in the world, the rebels saw success in their efforts to establish an internationally recognized government in eastern Libya, forging tighter links with Britain and Italy, both potentially major markets for Libyan oil. Italy offered diplomatic recognition to the Libyan opposition council on Monday, becoming the third country to do so after France and Qatar.

Shipping data provider Lloyd's Intelligence, meanwhile, confirmed that a Greek-owned tanker is on its way to Libya pick up an oil shipment, the first in almost three weeks.

The delivery would be only a tiny fraction of Libya's pre-crisis exports of around 1.6 million barrels a day, but is viewed by analysts as a symbolic step forward.

The tanker, capable of carrying around 1 million barrels of crude oil, is currently off Port Said in Egypt and expected to arrive at the Libyan port of Marsa al-Hariga, near the eastern city of Tobruk, later in the day.

The conflict in Libya caused crude exports from the country, 17th among the world oil producers, to dwindle to a trickle, sparking a surge in global oil prices. Benchmark crude was trading at around $108 a barrel on Tuesday.

Gadhafi's British-educated its Seif al-Islam, on Tuesday, dismissed reports that his father's inner circle of advisers was crumbling following the defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa.

He said "of course" there would be defections among senior members of the regime because some of them are old and tired and "not young like us."

He also dismissed the idea that Koussa might have new information to offer British authorities about the Lockerbie bombing in which he was a key negotiator.

"the british and the americans…they know everything about Lockerbie so there are no secret" KUSA can reveal, Seif said.

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