News / Middle East

Syrian Death Toll Rises to 50 Despite Cease-fire

Syrian rebel fighters take cover as a Syrian army sniper aims over a destroyed mosque in Tarik Al-Bab, southeast of Aleppo, October 26, 2012.Syrian rebel fighters take cover as a Syrian army sniper aims over a destroyed mosque in Tarik Al-Bab, southeast of Aleppo, October 26, 2012.
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Syrian rebel fighters take cover as a Syrian army sniper aims over a destroyed mosque in Tarik Al-Bab, southeast of Aleppo, October 26, 2012.
Syrian rebel fighters take cover as a Syrian army sniper aims over a destroyed mosque in Tarik Al-Bab, southeast of Aleppo, October 26, 2012.
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VOA News

The Syrian government and opposition activists have traded blame for a series of deadly attacks that have strained a fragile cease-fire.

Activists say Syrian forces launched airstrikes on Saturday to pound targets in areas including the Damascus suburbs.

The government blamed militants for attacks on security forces and several bombings, including a blast near a church in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor.

The state-run SANA news agency said "armed terrorist groups" were continuing to breach a truce between the government and rebels that took effect on Friday in observance of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told VOA that more than 50 people were killed in anti-government related violence on Saturday, including at least 17 security force members.  Saturday's violence raises the two-day death toll to about 200.

United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi arranged the cease-fire so Syrians on all sides could celebrate Eid al-Adha, the holiday marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

On Friday, Syrian television showed President Bashar al-Assad mingling with worshippers at prayers, while some ordinary Syrians said they were just trying to stay alive and were in no mood to celebrate.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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by: Anonymous
October 29, 2012 12:01 AM
What disgusts me is the latest video on youtube, showing Assads men dropping explosives from wayyyy high up in the air, and do not have any aim whatsoever. These bombs can fall anywhere, without any targeting. More proof he is indiscriminately bombing civillians and killing anyone at random. He should be stopped permanently.


by: Michael from: USA
October 28, 2012 1:26 AM
To say the Syrian army is trying to wipe out insurgents is to say many were killed, but the army had never wiped out any insurgents


by: Anonymous
October 27, 2012 8:10 PM
Let's find a better solution to bring peace to the Syrian people.
<a href ="http://www.orjiakor.com/">www.orjiakor.com</a>


by: Anonymous
October 27, 2012 6:40 PM
The Syrian army should WIPE OUT these dirty insurgent so called "rebels". They are the ones who violated the unity and peace of Syrians a long time ago. The sad part is that the MSM portray the "rebels" in a completely false way... they are FAR from freedom fighters.. they are a toxic mix of radicals, mercenaries and outsiders who have been given carte blanche by the interests who fuel this insurgency with weapons, money, logistical and material support in a cynical strategy to dismantle Syria. MSM is mum of the reality (barring a few).

In Response

by: Anonymous
October 29, 2012 4:09 AM
What do you call surviving family members who bear arms because their daughters or wives or elderly grandparents were killed by Assad indiscriminately? Perhaps even tortured? Rounded up like pigs and slaughtered?

I call them rebels, you seem a bit out of touch. Lots of people of Syria are fed up and want Assad out once and for all.. Do you realize that Assad has killed perhaps 30,000 people? Of course there is rebels from Syria who are regular bus drivers, cab drivers, school teachers, electronic engineers, students, all walks of life want Assad gone. Those we call Rebels.

Rebels are going to grow and grow, they won't dicipate.