SYRIA: Syrian rebel fighters take some control near Deraa

Record ID: 280867

  • Title: SYRIA: Syrian rebel fighters take some control near Deraa
  • Date: 11th June 2012
  • Summary: LAJAT NEAR DERAA, SYRIA (JUNE 8, 2012) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) FREE SYRIAN ARMY (FSA) AL-FAROUQ BRIGADE FIGHTERS WALKING MORE OF THE FSA FIGHTERS SMOKE RISING FSA FIGHTERS OPENING FIRE / AUDIO OF GUNFIRE FIGHTERS ON MOTORCYCLE SHOUTING "We are coming to you Bashar", "God is greatest, Abu Hussein al Homsi" REBEL FIGHTERS ENTERING SYRIAN ARMY POST AND INSPECTING THE
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3W3EV52SVDYNW4NU71RM6V56K
  • Story Text: Amateur video obtained by Reuters shows Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel fighters in the rural area of Lajat near the city of Deraa taking control of some Syrian army and police positions this week.
    The fighters, said to be from the al-Farouq Brigade, said that they launched a series of attacks on Friday (June 8) on the Syrian government army and gained control of some areas there.
    "Al-Farouq brigades attacked on Friday June 8 two army checkpoints in the villages of Majeda and Najeeh, and those two are one of the biggest checkpoints in Deraa province. And we also attacked an army convoy carrying ammunition on the main highway between Deraa and Damascus and we destroyed it completely, and we pushed back Assad gangs in Mehaje. This series of attacks are in revenge for the raiding of this area and we promise to continue attacking these gangs," Alaa Abdul Rahman, head of the al Farouq Brigades in Deraa, read from a statement.
    The video shows fighters inspecting the aftermath in two police stations they attacked, Sour and Jadal police stations.
    Heavy shelling was reported in Deraa on Friday night to Saturday morning (June 8/9) that left 18 dead according to a Syrian human rights group.
    The FSA, the main armed opposition Syrian group, is a loose grouping of fighters including army defectors who have a formal leader based in Turkey and some central command over units in Syria.
    Deraa is where the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted 15 months ago.
    Fighting was also reported in Damascus, Homs and other cities, killing 33 people overall on Saturday (June 9), according to a rights group.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register