|
On 17 July, shooting was reported in one of the main central streets and machine-gun fire was reported in nearby ], site of the ], which was the scene of several major ].<ref name=centraldamascus></ref> A brief firefight also erupted near the Syrian parliament building.<ref></ref> Fighting was ongoing in the southern Midan and Kfar Sousa districts and the northern Barzeh and Qabun districts. Artillery shelling was reported in all of them and specifically in Midan it was reported to be "hysterical", according to activists. At the same time, in Barzeh and Qabun, helicopter rocket strikes were reported.<ref name=centraldamascus/> Later, helicopter strikes were reportedly hitting all four neighborhoods.<ref></ref> Army reinforcements were sent from the Golan Heights to help defend the capital.<ref></ref> This was confirmed by Israeli army intelligence. "The Syrian military is acting very brutally, which shows the regime is desperate. Its control of Damascus is getting weaker," Maj-Gen Aviv Kochavi told a parliamentary committee in Israel.<ref name=centraldamascus/> |
|
On 17 July, shooting was reported in one of the main central streets and machine-gun fire was reported in nearby ], site of the ], which was the scene of several major ].<ref name=centraldamascus></ref> A brief firefight also erupted near the Syrian parliament building.<ref></ref> Fighting was ongoing in the southern Midan and Kfar Sousa districts and the northern Barzeh and Qabun districts. Artillery shelling was reported in all of them and specifically in Midan it was reported to be "hysterical", according to activists. At the same time, in Barzeh and Qabun, helicopter rocket strikes were reported.<ref name=centraldamascus/> Later, helicopter strikes were reportedly hitting all four neighborhoods.<ref></ref> Army reinforcements were sent from the Golan Heights to help defend the capital.<ref></ref> This was confirmed by Israeli army intelligence. "The Syrian military is acting very brutally, which shows the regime is desperate. Its control of Damascus is getting weaker," Maj-Gen Aviv Kochavi told a parliamentary committee in Israel.<ref name=centraldamascus/> |
|
The rebels claimed to had killed 70 soldiers and pro-government militiamen in the previous two days of clashes,<ref name=fightingrages></ref> while the government reported 14 rebel vehicles were destroyed.<ref name=soldiersjump></ref> An activist, Shakeeb al-Jabri, claimed that more than 200 soldiers had been killed or wounded in total. A deputy police chief, Brigadier General Issa Duba, was said to have died from wounds sustained during the clashes, according to a pro-Assad website.<ref name=guardian2></ref> The FSA stated they destroyed one armored vehicle and captured another and that, among the members of the Syrian military who were killed, were several rooftop snipers.<ref name=losesgrip></ref><ref name=guardian1></ref> The opposition also claimed to had shot down an army helicopter in the Qaboun district.<ref name=centraldamascus/><ref name=converge></ref> There were contradictions among the rebels themselves on the nature of the conflict. One FSA commander claimed that the Battle for liberation of Damascus had begun,<ref></ref> with another dubbing it ''Operation Damascus Volcano''.<ref name=centraldamascus/> But Tarek, the rebel spokesman in Damascus, stated the clashes were still only skirmishes. He also said the FSA didn't start the battle, which would be in line with earlier reports that the military made a preemptive strike on the opposition forces, after learning of their plan for the attack on the capital.<ref></ref> Government Information Minister Omran Zoabi stated that the military confronted rebel forces who infiltrated the city, surrounded them and forced many to retreat, while the rest were still being dealt with.<ref name=converge/> |
|
The rebels claimed to had killed 70 soldiers and pro-government militiamen in the previous two days of clashes,<ref name=fightingrages></ref> while the government reported 14 rebel vehicles were destroyed.<ref name=soldiersjump></ref> An activist, Shakeeb al-Jabri, claimed that more than 200 soldiers had been killed or wounded in total. A deputy police chief, Brigadier General Issa Duba, was said to have died from wounds sustained during the clashes, according to a pro-Assad website.<ref name=guardian2></ref> The FSA stated they destroyed one armored vehicle and captured another and that, among the members of the Syrian military who were killed, were several rooftop snipers.<ref name=losesgrip></ref><ref name=guardian1></ref> The opposition also claimed to have shot down an army helicopter in the Qaboun district.<ref name=centraldamascus/><ref name=converge></ref> There were contradictions among the rebels themselves on the nature of the conflict. One FSA commander claimed that the Battle for liberation of Damascus had begun,<ref></ref> with another dubbing it ''Operation Damascus Volcano''.<ref name=centraldamascus/> But Tarek, the rebel spokesman in Damascus, stated the clashes were still only skirmishes. He also said the FSA didn't start the battle, which would be in line with earlier reports that the military made a preemptive strike on the opposition forces, after learning of their plan for the attack on the capital.<ref></ref> Government Information Minister Omran Zoabi stated that the military confronted rebel forces who infiltrated the city, surrounded them and forced many to retreat, while the rest were still being dealt with.<ref name=converge/> |
.svg){kind=small}
Free Syrian Army
