Nazaha starts probe into corruption charges against 268 government employees in April    Saudi Heritage Commission partners with Kanazawa University for archaeological studies    Saudi Arabia sees 16% increase in net direct foreign investment    Saudi Vision 2030 report highlights client satisfaction with judicial services at 97%    Prince Bader and Ammar Altaf open the sixth edition of Automechanika Riyadh    GASTAT: Saudi non-oil activities record 2.8% growth in 1Q of 2024    Gaza hostage's mother pleads for ceasefire deal    NYC police raid Columbia University building occupied by Gaza protesters    Rising Hindu nationalism leaves Muslims fearful in India's holy city    Boy, 14, killed in London sword attack    AI powered Arabic Intelligence Center launched in Riyadh    Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad in heated King's Cup semi-final    Infinix GT 20 Pro flagship launch: Revolutionizing esports-level gaming and ushering in a new era of the holistic gaming universe    Saudi Electricity Company gains regulatory approval for increased weighted average cost of capital    SFDA: Breast-milk substitute products are sugar-free complying with Saudi specifications    Saudi Olympic team exits U-23 Cup in quarterfinals, loses Paris 2024 Olympics dream    Al Hilal triumphs over Al Fateh in a fierce 3-1 clash at Kingdom Arena    Al Shabab overpowers Al Ittihad with a 3-1 victory in Jeddah    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Riyadh premieres first Saudi opera    Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Syria forces in new assault amid diplomacy efforts
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 03 - 2012

Syrian troops pushed ahead with a new assault on the northern region of Idlib Saturday, shelling one of the centers of the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule and sending families fleeing for safety as armed rebels tried to fend off the attack. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
The military operation has raised fears that the regime is planning a new all-out offensive in Idlib like the bloody siege last month that captured a restive part of the city of Homs, further south.
While the fighting raged, UN envoy Kofi Annan met with Assad in Damascus during a high-profile international mission trying to bring a halt to fighting and arrange talks between the two sides to end the country's yearlong conflict.
Al-Assad told UN-Arab League envoy Annan Saturday that no political solution was possible in Syria while dissident groups were destabilizing the country.
There was no immediate comment from Annan after his meeting with Assad, aimed at halting bloodshed that has cost thousands of lives since a popular uprising erupted a year ago.
Annan also planned to meet Syrian dissidents before leaving Damascus Sunday. He has called for a political solution, but the opposition says the time for dialogue is long gone.
“We support any initiative that aims to stop the killings, but we reject it if it is going to give Bashar more time to break the revolution and keep him in power,” Melham Al-Droubi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and of the exiled Syrian National Council, told Reuters by telephone. “We hope that Annan convinces Bashar to stop the killings, step down and call for a parliamentary election,” he said, expressing scepticism that Assad would respond positively.
China has offered $2 million of humanitarian aid to Syria, state media reported, after the United Nations humanitarian chief said the conflict-riven state had agreed to an aid assessment.
The aid was being offered to improve the humanitarian conditions in some regions of Syria, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Friday, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Qin said that China supported the United Nations in playing the lead role in coordinating aid efforts in Syria, Xinhua reported.
No UN aid agencies are allowed into Syria, and information is scarce on the details of the civilians' needs. But UN humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos said earlier Friday that Syria had agreed to allow a preliminary assessment of the relief needs in areas hit hard by the year-long conflict that has claimed nearly 8,500 lives.
Sixteen rebels and four regular army troops were killed Saturday in clashes in Idlib province of northwest Syria, bordering Turkey, a monitoring group said.
“Sixteen fighters from deserter groups were killed in an ambush near Jisr Al-Shughur town as they headed for the city of Idlib to fight regular troops,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.
The monitoring group also said four soldiers were killed and five captured in a separate clash in Idlib, the focus of army operations on Saturday. “Four soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an attack by a group of deserters on a military convoy near Bdama town in the Jisr Al-Shughur area. The deserters captured five other soldiers,” said the Britain-based group.
International rifts have paralyzed action on Syria, with Russia and China opposing Western and Arab calls for Assad, who inherited power from his father nearly 12 years ago, to quit.
The UN estimates that Syrian security forces have killed well over 7,500 people.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Lavrov in New York on Monday on the sidelines of a special UN Security Council ministerial meeting on Arab revolts, with Syria likely to be a central topic.


Clic here to read the story from its source.