Funerals and protests in Syria

  • 12 years ago
Amateur video out of Syria appears to show smoke rising on the streets of Hama.
A man can be heard saying the town's mosque is under attack.
The video, which could not be independently verified by Reuters, comes as the Arab League prepares to begin its monitoring mission in Syria.
More footage, purportedly from Homs shows a funeral service for nine residents reportedly killed over the past two days. The United Nations says President Bashar al Assad's crackdown has killed 5,000 people since March.
Galvanized by a soaring death toll, Arab states have pushed Damascus to let in a team of about 150 observers to witness what is happening on the ground.
More funerals in Idleb.
As Assad has unleashed tanks and troops to try to crush a nine month old uprising mainly peaceful rallies are now increasingly eclipsed by an armed insurgency against his rule.
Friday's blasts in central Damascus that killed at least 44 people signaled a dramatic escalation in violence. Syrian authorities say armed groups have killed 2,000 soldiers this year.
Footage out of Damascus shows demonstrators back on the streets calling for the end of the regime.
Syria has banned most independent media from the country making it difficult to verify accounts from activists or the government.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters