18 Killed as Gadhafi's Death Spurs Syria Protests

W300

Syrian security forces killed 18 civilians on Friday, 15 of them in the flashpoint central city of Homs, where the death of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi galvanized mass protests, rights activists said.

"Fifteen people were killed in Homs," which has been at the heart of military operations this week, Rami Abdul Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Agence France Presse.

Mass demonstrations, called in celebration of the dramatic end of Libya's Gadhafi and in the hope that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be the next to fall, spread across the central city, the Observatory said.

The toll in Homs included two killed by security forces manning a checkpoint at Bab al-Sibaa, the focal point of raids ahead of midday Friday prayers, and 13 others killed in "different neighborhoods."

"Security forces opened heavy machinegun fire against a demonstration in the (Homs) neighborhoods of Jeb al-Jandaly and Bab Amr," wounding 19 and killing one person there, the Observatory added.

The Local Coordination Committees, an activist network spurring protests on the ground, said security forces imposed a curfew and closed all the mosques of Qusayr, a restive town in Homs province near the border with Lebanon.

The main weekly Muslim prayers have become a springboard for anti-regime rallies, with thousands pouring out of mosques each week to join in, despite the strong likelihood of brutal action by the security forces.

One civilian died when security forces opened fire on a funeral procession in the southern Daraa region, cradle of the protest movement against Assad's regime, Abdul Rahman said.

In the central province of Hama, a historic hotbed of dissent, two civilians were killed by sniper fire, the Observatory said.

Syrian troops were deployed in the outskirts of Damascus raising new checkpoints and positioning snipers on the rooftops of Saqba, a protest hub near the capital, the LCC said.

Assad has been faced with a people's revolt since March 15, which has been harshly repressed, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations.

Pro-democracy activists on Friday hailed the "great victory" of the Libyan revolution after Gadhafi was captured and killed in his hometown and final bastion Sirte, and warned Assad's turn would come next.

"The great victory of the third Arab revolution sends a clear message to the region's tyrants: military and security options fail when confronted with the will of people calling for liberty, justice and equality," the LCC said.

"Your turn has come Doctor (Assad)," protesters wrote on their Facebook page, Syrian Revolution 2011.

"Give whatever delay you want, our revolution will vanquish, we will continue to call with all our voice to bring down the regime and to tell the world that the Syrian people will not surrender," it added.

Comments 8
Missing allouchi over 12 years

Assad your fate will be the same as Saddam and Ghathafi....the blood of the people is not cheap and will not be forgotten.

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) over 12 years

This is shameful and the world's response is even worse. Ghadaffi went down with the aid of NATO because Europe got worked up over losing its oil and of Libyian refugees pouring into their member states. So they had an interest in bringing the Libyian situation to a quick end with military assistance.

With Syria, Assad remains in power due to the will of one man. Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel wants to keep the "devil it knows" and so it keeps the US away and in in election year, Netanyahu knows that he can affect the actions of a US president in need of Jewish votes.

As Hezbollah rails against Israel and Iran also against Israel, the reality of the matter is that it is Israel that holds the Iranian/Syrian/Hezbollah coalition together.
Come on people don't you get it yet?? Israel-Hezbollah-Iran-Assad all on the same side and who is on the other? Sunnis and Arabs. If Lebanon is Arab, why is Hezbollah running it by remote control for Persians in collusion with Isaelis?

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) over 12 years

This is shameful and the world's response is even worse. Ghadaffi went down with the aid of NATO because Europe got worked up over losing its oil and of Libyian refugees pouring into their member states. So they had an interest in bringing the Libyian situation to a quick end with military assistance.

With Syria, Assad remains in power due to the will of one man. Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel wants to keep the "devil it knows" and so it keeps the US away and in in election year, Netanyahu knows that he can affect the actions of a US president in need of Jewish votes.

As Hezbollah rails against Israel and Iran also against Israel, the reality of the matter is that it is Israel that holds the Iranian/Syrian/Hezbollah coalition together.
Come on people don't you get it yet?? Israel-Hezbollah-Iran-Assad all on the same side and who is on the other? Sunnis and Arabs. If Lebanon is Arab, why is Hezbollah running it by remote control for Persians in collusion with Isaelis?

Thumb Chupachups over 12 years

ija dawrak ya Bashar

Default-user-icon Vandolio (Guest) over 12 years

So yesterday or the day before, a 100000 demonstrated for Bashar. Today, 1000 crazy Sunnis demonstrated against Bashar and these farts who are 100 times less want Bashar to leave!!! It's like we have here: Dr. Falso can barely stand on his own feet, his boss, a chosen idiot and loser, i.e. cheikh Imbecile, got the boot of his pathetic life that sent him continent-hopping, is nowhere to be found, and Dr. Falso calls for the government to resign (knowing Dr. Falso, this government, as bad as it is, is staying for a long time)!!! Talking about crazies: Some are Sunnis and some are Christian Sunnis. What's the common link? Go figure.

Thumb libnani over 12 years

Vandolio, what about the 400,000 in Homs or the 800,000 in Halab? May Bashar's ardent supporters meet the same deadly fate of Bashar. La ilaha ilalah, w muhammadu rasul ul lah

Default-user-icon joe6609 (Guest) over 12 years

@Vandolio... So, 1000 people have been giving the regime in Syria trouble for almost 7 months now! Calling people names will not solve anything. No one would like to see Syria in chaos but also it cannot continue like this. Pro regime demonstrations do not say a lot. One anti-government demonstrator is worth hundreds if not 1000's of pro demontrators. You should know that if you have ever Syria. Only time will tell what is going to happen. Unfortunately, it looks bleeker with every passing day. Too much blood.

Missing mansour over 12 years

I hope that this crisis in Syria is not resloved anytime soon , Praise be to God for extended time of choas.Thank you