Society 09:32 26/11/2012

Syrian kids killed in playground shelling

"May God bring you pain, Bashar."

According to CNN, the curse is from a woman as she stands over a young child, dressed in purple pants and a matching shirt. Cursing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, she asks why the girl had to die -- one of eight children killed by shelling Sunday on a playground in a Damascus suburb, according to opposition activists.

The woman's cries are among a host of heartrending moments captured on video from Deir al-Assafir. Posted on YouTube, and quickly spreading via social media, it begins by showing the bodies of two seemingly dead little girls on the ground, then two more bodies in a car, then adults carrying even more limp children. A young girl on the pavement cries uncontrollably before being picked up.

The opposition Local Coordination Committees said cluster bombs from Syrian warplanes killed children while they were playing. Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said it's not known what happened -- noting it is unclear if or, perhaps, why the children were targeted in an area containing al Qaeda insurgents and rebel fighters, or why they were outside after a morning of intense shelling.

Whatever the explanation, the images represent another sordid chapter in Syria's bloody civil war.

About 40,000 civilians have been killed since the first protests sprung up about 20 months ago against al-Assad's government, according to the opposition Center for Documentation of Violations in Syria. Meanwhile, more than 380,000 Syrians have fled the violence and become refugees in countries such as Turkey and Lebanon, the United Nations reports.

On Sunday alone, the carnage in Deir Assafar represented a fraction of the 117 fatalities that the LCC reported nationwide Sunday. That figure includes 55 dead in and around Damascus -- among them 12 bodies found in a hospital in Daraya -- plus 17 in Daraa province and 16 in Aleppo province.

The Syrian government routinely refers to its battle against "terrorists," the term it uses for rebel fighters as well as extremist elements within the country. On Sunday, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported on several specific military operations "in pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists who are perpetrating acts of killing and looting," in some instances identifying those killed and where they purportedly came from, such as Saudi Arabia, Libya and Palestinian territories.

CNN cannot confirm claims by the government or the opposition due to government restrictions that prevent journalists from reporting freely within Syria.

Having begun with security forces cracking down on mostly nonviolent demonstrators, the conflict has evolved to feature more fighting between two main groups: the Syrian military and the rebel Syrian Free Army.

Rebel forces scored significant victories over the weekend, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Overnight Saturday, its fighters stormed Marj al-Sultan airport, which is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Damascus, destroying two helicopters and a number of vehicles except for a tank that was driven off the airport. In Daraa province, meanwhile, rebels claimed to have taken over a base near the Jordanian border that once housed the Syrian army's fourth battalion.

Many communities around the country -- from Deir Ezzor in the east to Jableh along the Mediterranean Sea -- saw heavy shelling and explosions, according to the LCC.

The violence has spilled over, too, into neighboring countries.

Turkey has turned against its former ally, asking its fellow NATO members last week for Patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses due to several deaths in its territory blamed on Syrian forces.

The bloodshed has seeped into Lebanon as well, where there have been deadly clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian factions, and the assassination of a top intelligence official was tied to the Syrian conflict. And Israel's army fired warning shots toward Syria earlier this month after a mortar shell hit one of its military posts.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:06
Armenian cellist announces creation of Artsakh Chamber Orchestra
World-renowned Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan announced the establishment of an orchestra comprising Armenian musicians forcibly displaced...
16:36
Two motions tabled in NSW Parliament slam Azerbaijan, call for pro-Armenian measures
On 19 September 2023, one year since Azerbaijan’s 24-hour military assault and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, NSW Parliamentarians Tim James...
16:05
Russian diplomat rejects Pashinyan's CSTO claims
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s claims that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) poses threats to Armenia’s security...
15:35
Hrayr Tovmasyan found guilty, freed from criminal liability
A first instance court in Yerevan on Friday found former Constitutional Court chair Hrayr Tovmasyan guilty on two counts but released him from...
15:10
Armenian meteorologist says many sunny days are ahead
It is too early to say goodbye to summer, says Gagik Surenyan, Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center at Armenia's...
14:34
Ruben Vardanyan responds to Pashinyan from Baku prison
Ruben Vardanyan, a Russian-Armenian philanthropist and Artsakh’s former state minister who is illegally detained in Azerbaijan, has...
14:06
Armenian stone cross installed at Pasadena school
In a significant move to preserve Armenian culture, Hovsepian School in Pasadena has installed a Khachkar, or Armenian stone cross, on its...
13:36
Struggle 'unequivocal choice' in Armenia, protest leader says
Struggle in Armenian is an “unequivocal choice”, says Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of a protest movement aimed at...
13:15
Hundreds evacuated from northern Italy amid floods
At least a thousand people were evacuated as flooding hit northern Italian regions. The extreme weather has continued to affect other Central...
13:03
Armenian politician Artashes Geghamyan dies at 74
Armenian politician Artashes Geghamyan has passed away at the age of 74. He established the National Unity party in 1997 and ran for...
12:36
Azerbaijani offensive against Artsakh had a specially developed tactic, report says
The Azerbaijani armed attacks against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on 19-20 September 2023 had a specially developed tactic, according to a...
12:14
Opposition MP accuses Armenian security chief of promoting Azeri narratives
Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan accused Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan of promoting Azerbaijani narratives...
11:36
Rain, storms persist in Armenia
Rain and thunderstorms combined with strong winds are expected to persist in Armenia's regions on Friday and over the coming...
11:15
Mel Gibson scouting locations in Europe for 'The Passion of the Christ' sequel
Mel Gibson is in Europe scouting locations for a sequel to his 2004 biblical blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ” — which...
11:00
Chess Olympiad: Armenian women's team claims another victory
The Armenian women's national team scored one more confident victory at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad. In the 8th round on Thursday, the...
17:13
Opposition MP: Armenian leadership trying to legitimize Artsakh genocide
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of attempting to...
16:35
ARF Hai Tad: Karabakh conflict remains on international political agenda
The ARF Bureau Hai Tad Central Council issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of...
16:05
Complaint filed to ICC prosecutor one year after Azeri attack on Artsakh
A year after Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh and forced the displacement of almost its entire population of over 100,000, a complaint for...
15:36
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan marks first anniversary of Azeri attack on Artsakh
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan expressed support for Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, including Artsakh's military and political...
15:05
CoE urges Georgia to review entry ban on Arsen Kharatyan
The Council of Europe's Safety of Journalists Platform urges Georgia to review the entry bans imposed on journalists Andrei Mialeshka and...
14:30
Rep. Schiff seeks seizure of Azerbaijani assets to fund Artsakh Revenue Recovery
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) – the ANCA endorsed candidate for California’s U.S. Senate seat – has introduced a bi-partisan...
14:06
Armenian health minister reports decline in West Nile virus cases
Armenia saw a decline in the outbreak of West Nile fever in the past week, Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said on Thursday....
13:36
Artsakh people have undeniable right to self-determination and return: statement
The Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) issued a statement on the first...
13:15
Artsakh leader deplores Armenian government officials' statements
Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan, other Artsakh governmnet officials and lawmakers paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Yerablur Pantheon...
12:35
Rain, storms hit most parts of Armenia
Rain and thunderstorms combined with strong winds are expected in most parts of Armenia on Thursday and over the coming days. Hail and...
12:01
Political prisoner Narek Malyan walks free after one year behind bars
Political prisoner Narek Malyan walked free on Thursday after serving a one-year prison sentence. Malyan’s family, friends and...
11:36
Armenia marks first anniversary of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh
The Armenian Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of the forced displacement...
11:15
Victims of Azerbaijani war crimes to testify in Washington D.C. for first time
For the first time ever, on the one year anniversary of the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh, on September 19, 2024, victims of Azerbaijani war crimes...
11:00
Armenian teams remain among leaders at Chess Olympiad
The Armenian national teams remain among the leaders in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad, the Chess Federation of Armenia reports. In the...
17:03
Foreign diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan visit Dadivank
Heads of embassies, international organizations and military attachés accredited in Azerbaijan on Wednesday visited the monastery of...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}