SYRIA: Rebels say they have taken control of the Bab al Hawa border post shared with Turkey, and say the Free Syrian army has seized control of parts of Homs and Damascus.

Record ID: 281145

  • Title: SYRIA: Rebels say they have taken control of the Bab al Hawa border post shared with Turkey, and say the Free Syrian army has seized control of parts of Homs and Damascus.
  • Date: 20th July 2012
  • Summary: BAB AL HAWA, SYRIA (JULY 20, 2012) (MATERIAL OBTAINED BY REUTERS) TRUCKS LINED UP AT BAB AL HAWA BORDER GATE FREE SYRIAN ARMY REBEL TAKING OFF VEST WITH AMMUNITION AND PLACING INSIDE VEHICLE MORE OF TRUCKS LINED UP
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA89FMGJ6JAURXE1WIFJ51Q9OJ8
  • Story Text: Rebels claimed to have seized control of the Bab al Hawa border post with Turkey on Friday (July 20) following a battle with Syrian troops.
    Fighters of the Free Syrian Army claimed control of at least two border crossings into Turkey at Bab al-Hawa and Jarablus, in what appeared to have been a coordinated campaign to seize Syria's frontiers.
    Several trucks lined the road near the Turkish border, with scores of rebels appearing to be in control of the post.

    "We surrounded them from two different sides, we fought for an hour and managed to push them back into the old Bab al Hawa," said one fighter appearing on a video obtained by Reuters.

    "The free Syrian army freed the Salah al Deen city as well as areas in Homs and Damascus and hopefully they will reach the Republican guard."
    Carcasses of burnt out vehicles could be seen on the sides of the roads. The video showed crowds looting an empty shop in the area.
    The claimed capture of the Bab al Hawa border comes as a fourth member of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle died on Friday from wounds sustained in a bomb attack this week and his forces fought to recapture border posts and parts of Damascus from rebels targeting the heart of his power.
    Officials in neighbouring Iraq confirmed that Syrian rebels were now in control of the Syrian side of the main Abu Kamal border checkpoint on the Euphrates River highway, one of the major trade routes across the Middle East.
    ENDS
  • Copyright Holder: AMATEUR VIDEO (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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