AMMAN, (Reuters) – Syrian forces shot dead at least 13 civilians yesterday in a continued military assault on the restive city of Homs and in attacks on pro-democracy demonstrations that erupted after prayers marking the main Muslim feast, activists said.
Qatar’s prime minister called for Arab states to meet next Saturday to weigh Syria’s failure to implement a deal struck with the Arab League to end bloodshed that was touched off by the popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
The Egyptian official news agency MENA said the gathering would address “the continuing violence and the government’s failure to stick to its obligations under the Arab Action Plan to solve the crisis in Syria”.
Arab leaders have ramped up criticism of Assad as the killings mounted, but are shied from demanding major political change in the country for fear chaos could ensue, given Syria’s volatile sectarian divisions. Syria is dominated by Assad’s minority Alawite sect while Sunni Muslims form the majority.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said Damascus was making “every effort” to comply with the Arab League plan, which envisages Syrian troops leaving protest-hit cities, and accused the United States of “direct involvement” in the bloodshed.
Syrian authorities have described increasing Arab criticism as unproductive and based on false media reports.
Damascus says the unrest has arisen largely from a foreign conspiracy to divide Syria and that security forces are using legitimate means to confront “terrorists” and Islamist militants bent on wrecking a reform drive by Assad.
Opposition leaders say the demonstrations are driven by broad discontent with a corrupt repressive elite, not by violent extremists, and that Assad’s promises of reform have been discredited by his continuing military crackdown on protesters.
The official Syrian news agency SANA said Assad went to the eastern provincial capital of Raqqa on Sunday where he joined Eid prayers with “a number of notables and popular, union and party organisations and a crowd of Raqqa citizens.”
“The stand Syrians are making against terrorism and outside intervention is the basis for Syria’s steadfastness… We have no choice except winning any battle that targets our sovereignty,” SANA quoted Assad as saying.
