Syrian forces launch fresh attacks against protesters
Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracy
The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troops on Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy.
Tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered the city and troops stormed the Omari mosque, a hub for protesters, killing four people as Syria's government continued to crush dissent in the city, which has been at the centre of the six-week uprising.
Activists said that houses in the Karak district of the city were damaged by shelling which started at 5am local time on Saturday, the sixth day of a sustained siege on the city.
"They are trying to break the will of the protesters and residents while also arresting any leaders," said Rami Nakhle, a Syrian cyber-activist based in Beirut.
The assault on the Omari mosque lasted 90 minutes, during which troops fired tank shells and heavy machine guns, resident Abdullah Abazeid told Associated Press. Three helicopters participated in the operation, dropping paratroopers on top of the mosque itself, he said.
Among the dead was the son of the mosque's imam, Ahmed al-Sayasna, residents said. Sayasna is in hiding, accused by the government of inciting protests.
Earlier this week, security forces shot and killed a man as he walked out of the mosque and used a bullhorn to shout at them: "Enough! Enough! Enough! Stop killing your brothers!" Funerals were also taking place after human rights organisations said more than 70 people were confirmed dead in protests on Friday, bringing the total death toll to more than 500. Elsewhere on Saturday, five people were reported shot dead in the coastal city of Latakia while 11 of 50 women who protested in central Damascus were arrested.
Meanwhile, reports of army defections continued to surface as witnesses said many soldiers had fled service in Deraa, hiding in r! esidents ' houses.
This followed unconfirmed reports from the city last week of clashes between the 4th and 5th Brigades. The Observer could not independently confirm the reports, which have trickled out of the city since the start of the crackdown almost a month ago.
Emboldened by the rumours, a group of protesters and activists have appealed to the army to take charge and ensure a transition to democracy.
A group calling itself the National Initiative for Change issued a statement saying: "The best option is for the leadership of the regime to lead a transition to democracy. The only institution that has the capability to lead the transition period would be the military."
But most commentators believe calling on the army is wishful thinking. "We may see some splintering of the army, but it is impossible that the whole institution will change sides," said one local analyst who asked not to be named.
As Assad failed to heed calls for reform, late on Friday the US froze the assets of three senior officials, including Maher, Bashar's younger brother, who heads the elite 4th Brigade. Maher is not believed to have many assets in the US so the new sanctions are not likely to have significant impact.
Many more protesters would need to take to the streets to challenge the army's might. A diplomat in the capital said: "They are using a lot of troops in Deraa. The regime can control the situation now, but if many more towns came out, the army may be stretched."
Reports from Deraa paint a devastating picture as communications remain cut and supplies run low. The likely death toll in the city is now well over 100.
The EU is also preparing to freeze trade deals with Syria and put an embargo on the sale of weapons that might be used for internal repression. It has so far stopped short of the US move of freezing assets, but the EU foreign policy chief, Baroness Ashton, said the bloc will "urgently consider further appropriate and targeted measures".
The move is the! latest attempt to increase pressure following a special session of the UN human rights council, which voted in favour of a resolution condemning the crackdown and endorsed a US-backed call for investigations. Syrian officials have rejected international moves as illegitimate interference as the government continues to insist it is fighting a war against armed gangs and Islamist terrorists. Syria's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Faisal al-Hamwi, described the council's session as "an excuse to return to the days of colonialism".
Protesters have renewed calls for daily nationwide demonstrations to call for the breaking of the siege of Deraa and the Damascus suburb of Douma, where communications are also cut and houses have been raided.
Katherine Marsh is the pseudonym for a journalist living in Damascus
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