Syrian army defectors killed 27 members of President Bashar al-Assad’s security forces in an attack Thursday, the S yrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The attack in the southern governorate of Daraa, where the nine-month uprising against Assad began, came after eight S yrian soldiers died in an ambush by deserters near Hama.
S yria’s repression of protests has led to defections from the army and an escalation of clashes in which both sides are armed.
“The statements of soldiers and officers who defected from the S yrian military and intelligence agencies leave no doubt that the abuses were committed in pursuance of state policy and that they were directly ordered, authorized or condoned at the highest levels of S yrian military and civilian leadership,” New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report published Thursday.
The United Nations estimates the number of civilians and army defectors killed exceeds 5,000. The government says more than 1,100 members of the security forces have been killed.
S yrian Denial
S yria’s ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari refuted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s estimate that 5,000 people have been killed in the 9-month uprising against Assad.
“How could defectors give positive testimonies on the S yrian government? Of course they will give negative testimonies against the S yrian government,” Jaafari said.
Jaafari had accused the US and the EU of “waging a media, political and diplomatic war against S yria” and “encouraging armed groups to engage in violence” after the UN Human Rights Council approved a censure resolution last month.
Canadians Evacuating
Canada will start helping to evacuate its citizens from S yria, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Thursday in an e-mailed statement.
Baird urged Canadian in S yria to leave the country “by any available means and while options exist.”
“Today we are declaring a voluntary evacuation of all Canadians in S yria,” the minister said. “The time to leave S yria is now.”
Canada will expedite the issuance of documents needed to leave S yria, said Baird, citing the possibility that embassy services may be reduced “without warning” if the situation in the country deteriorates.
留言列表
