AMMAN, (Reuters) – Syrian army units backed by tanks have tightened the siege of two defiant urban centres, in a sign that President Bashar al-Assad is widening the use of the military to crush demonstrations against his autocratic rule.
Tanks and armoured vehicles deployed around Rastan town on Wednesday and army units set up checkpoints in Sunni districts in Banias, days after a loyalist army division led by Assad’s brother Maher crushed protests in the southern city of Deraa with shellfire and machineguns. The demonstrations in Syria, inspired by pro-democracy
