Posted on 10/03/2011 9:56:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Ferocious battles are reported to have broken out in Rastan north of Homs this week as regular Syrian military units clash with the Free Syrian Army, a group of army deserters who are emerging as the armed wing of the opposition against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The emergence of an armed resistance, which appears to be becoming increasingly organized and holding its ground, bolsters a growing belief that the opposition is gradually, perhaps reluctantly, shifting toward a military option after six months of peaceful demonstrations have failed to dislodge the Assads' autocratic government.
The Free Syrian Army emerged at the end of July when its leader Col. Riad al-Assad announced its existence and called on officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers to defect from the army and join his new unit.
"The Syrian army now represents only the gangs that protect the regime," he said in a videotaped statement uploaded to YouTube.
The FSA has claimed a strength of some 10,000 rebel soldiers, although that figure cannot be confirmed. The rebel army, split into brigades, appears to have carved out tenuous footholds in the area of Idlib in the north and between Rastan and Homs. The largest FSA unit is said to be the Khaled bin al-Walid Brigade based in the Homs area. The Syrian army and security forces launched an offensive this week on Rastan and Talbisa, reportedly using fighter jets, helicopters and tanks.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailystar.com.lb ...
It’s on!
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