Gunfire in locked-down Syrian city. Reports of shooting as thousands protest in Homs while Syrian government claims country is facing "armed insurrection".
| Gunfire erupted overnight in the Syrian city of Homs where thousands of anti-government protesters had gathered in the main square, a day after activists said at least 25 people were killed there. An activist on the ground told Al Jazeera that security forces had opened fire on protesters. At least two people are reported injured while tear gas has also been used, according to Al Jazeera's correspondent in Damascus, Cal Perry. Homs was shut down by the army with three rings of checkpoints surrounding the city, our correspondent added. Security forces had given protesters until 2.30am to clear the square, but gunfire was reported at 2.15am. Most of the square was cleared with people scattering across the city, according to our correspondent. But some protesters say they are afraid to go to hospitals, our correspondent reports. "They are afraid if they go to the hospitals the security forces will be waiting for them there and they will end up in detention," says Perry. The latest protests against president Bashar al-Assad's 10-year rule come as Syria's interior ministry on Monday night said the country was facing an "armed insurrection". The government blames armed gangs for the unrest and says several members of the security forces have been killed and wounded in days of violence. "Some of these groups have called for armed insurrection under the motto of Jihad to set up a Salafist state," the ministry said in a statement. "What they did is an ugly crime severely punished by law. Their objective is to spread terror across Syria" A protester who gave his name as Rami earlier told Al Jazeera that thousands people were staging a sit-in in the centre of Homs and would "continue to protest until the regime is overthrown". Suhair Atassi, a prominent rights activist, said 10,000 people were at the square late on Monday night. Some tents were raised and protesters said they had renamed the Al-Saa (Clock) Square 'Tahrir Square', in reference to the focal point of the uprising in Egypt which led to the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak.
Witnesses said mourners chanted "From alleyway to alleyway, from house to house, we want to overthrow you, Bashar," and "Either freedom or death, the people want to topple this regime". Monday's protests were the largest to hit Syria's third largest city since protests in the country began one month ago. "I'm 45 years old. It's the first time in my life I break the barrier of silence, the first time I feel freedom," a protester who gave his name as Abu Omar told Al Jazeera. "The regime does not wish us to enjoy freedom or dignity. For decades we've been ruled by an iron fist, by the force of weapon." Demonstrations were also reported in the southern city of Daraa, in the Barzeh district of the capital, Damascus, and in Ain al-Arab in the mainly Kurdish north. About 1,500 people gathered at the Shaghour bridge between Aleppo and Latakia in the morning. Homs violence A protester in Homs told Al Jazeera that protesters were killed after evening prayers on Sunday when a group of around 40 demonstrators gathered outside the Bab al-Sibaa mosque chanting "freedom". The protester, who gave his name as Abu Haider, said seven cars pulled up to the protesters and men in civilian clothes jumped out and opened fire on the crowd without warning.
The nearby town of Talbiseh, where activists said five people were killed on Sunday, was sealed off by government forces on Monday. Walid al-Muallem, Syria's foreign minister, met foreign ambassadors earlier in the day and told them that reforms are on their way and that peaceful protest will be tolerated, but not destruction of government properties and other disruptive behaviour. The latest developments came two days after Assad said Syria's decades-long emergency laws would be lifted within a week and also promised a number of other reforms. Despite the apparent concessions, nationwide protests were held on Sunday, which was Syria's Independence Day, commemorating the departure of the last French soldier 65 years ago. | ||||
| A woman told the BBC by phone crowds were still large late on Monday. A human rights campaigner said security forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had fired shots at the protesters, reports said. Syria's interior ministry has said the unrest amounts to armed insurrection. Earlier, funerals were held for some of those killed in Sunday's violence in the city, with crowds calling for the end of Mr Assad's rule. Eight people died in Homs on Sunday after soldiers fired on crowds protesting at the death of a tribal leader in state custody. The opposition says the occupation of the city centre will continue until their political demands are met. These include the immediate lifting of Syria's longstanding emergency laws and the release of political prisoners. 'Open-ended' Activists say that checkpoints have been set up around the square to ensure that people coming in are unarmed civilians. “Start QuoteEnd Quote Interior ministry statement One opposition supporter, who said his brother was shot dead in Sunday's protests, said volunteers were providing the demonstrators with food and water. Another, Najati Tayyara, told AFP news agency: "More than 20,000 people are taking part in the sit-in at Al-Saa Square and we have renamed it Tahrir Square like the one in Cairo. "It is an open-ended sit-in which will continue until all our demands are satisfied." A human rights campaigner, who is in contact with the protesters, told Reuters that a member of the security forces had ordered them to leave, before the forces opened fire and used tear gas. At least one person was injured, according to the activist. Two residents of Homs also said they heard gunfire in the area near the square, Reuters reported. The unprecedented wave of protests in Syria shows no sign of abating, despite promises of reform by President Assad, says the BBC's Kim Ghattas. Syria's official news agency has also been reporting on events in Homs. It said three army officers including a brigadier-general, together with his two sons and a nephew, were ambushed and killed on Sunday by "armed criminal gangs" which then mutilated the bodies with sharp tools. The northern town of Banias also saw anti-government protests on Sunday. In a statement, the interior ministry said: "The course of the previous events... have revealed that they are an armed insurrection by armed groups belonging to Salafist organisations, especially in Homs and Banias." 'Very concerned'  Mr Assad has promised to end emergency rule Many fear it means further violence by authorities against protesters under the pretext of fighting terrorist elements, our correspondent says. Meanwhile, the US said it was "very concerned" about Syria's response to protests. State department spokesperson Mark Toner said Mr Assad was facing "a push by his very own people to move in a more democratic direction," and said the government "needs to address the legitimate aspirations of its people". His comments came after a report by the Washington Post on Monday, citing classified US diplomatic cables, suggesting the US were covertly funding London-based Syrian opposition group Movement for Justice and Development. The US has denied the claims. President Assad has recently promised reforms, including the removal of the country's 48-year-old emergency law, but protesters say the concessions are not enough. Human rights groups say at least 200 protesters have been killed in the past four weeks as security forces try to quell the most serious challenge to Mr Assad's rule since he succeeded his father, Hafaz al-Assad, 11 years ago. |
| Source-BBC |
Source: Al Jazeera |
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