Smoke billows in Homs after the city is shelled by what activists say were Syrian troops, February 17, 2012.
Photo: Reuters
Smoke billows in Homs after the city is shelled by what activists say were Syrian troops, February 17, 2012.
Activists say Syrian troops are shelling rebel-held areas in the central city of Homs, just one day after the United Nations General Assembly condemned the regime for violating human rights in its crackdown.
Syrian Troops Shell Homs After UN Condemnation
Activists say Syrian troops are shelling rebel-held areas in the central city of Homs, just one day after the United Nations General Assembly condemned the regime for violating human rights in its crackdown.
The activists said tank fire and artillery shelling Friday hit four neighborhoods in the central city, which has spearheaded the 11-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. They also say demonstrations in defiance of Assad's government have sprung up in several cities throughout the country, including the capital, Damascus.
The shelling came even as China's vice foreign minister, Zhai Jun, arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian officials on resolving the conflict. The Chinese embassy in Damascus said Zhai was scheduled to meet with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad.
In Washington Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that she and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are "once again condemning in the strongest possible terms the ongoing violence against the Syrian people perpetrated by the Assad regime."
On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused the Assad government of "almost certain" crimes against humanity.
The U.N. General Assembly also passed a resolution, approved by 137 of the assembly's 193 member states, calling on Assad's autocratic government to "immediately put an end to attacks against civilians."
No comments:
Post a Comment