After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Schneider Electric Expands Youth Partnership with Enactus to Drive Inclusive Energy Transition in Egypt    China's Jiangsu Zhengyong to build $85m factory in Egypt's Ain Sokhna: SCZONE    Egyptian pound ticks up vs. US dollar at Thursday's close    Egypt condemns Israeli plan to build 3,400 settler homes in West Bank    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Egypt, China ink $1bn agreement for Sailun tire plant in SCZONE    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's Electricity Minister discusses progress on Greece power link    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    27 Western countries issue joint call for unimpeded aid access to Gaza    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Global matcha market to surpass $7bn by 2030: Nutrition expert    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt, Uganda strengthen water cooperation, address Nile governance    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Korean Cultural Centre in Cairo launches folk painting workshop    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







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



Residents: Many arrests in Syria''s Deraa
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 01 - 05 - 2011

Amman -- Syrian authorities are carrying out a wave of arrests in the city of Deraa in their latest move to crush protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, residents said on Sunday.
The residents said they had seen packed busloads of handcuffed and hooded young men being taken in the direction of a large detention center in the city run by the security services.
"They are arresting all males above 15 years. They only have old security tactics and they are acting on revenge," said a prominent lawyer in Deraa who did not want to be further identified.
"Bullets are their response to the people's revolt. The security forces who came to Deraa told us 'Go buy bread from a bakery called Freedom. Let's see if it feeds you,'" he added.
A Deraa witness who identified himself as Adnan al-Hourani told Al-Jazeera television that security forces had divided the southern Syrian city into four sections, each cut off from the others, and had gathered all the detainees in schools and were preparing to transfer them.
Assad sent troops backed by dozens of tanks into Deraa on 25 April to silence revolt against his 11-year rule. Protests began there in March and have escalated into an uprising in the country of 20 million people which is now into its seventh week.
Power and communications in Deraa have been disrupted. On Saturday, tanks shelled the old quarter and security forces stormed the Omari mosque, a focal point for protests.
"GHOST CITY"
"It is a ghost city this morning. At dawn we heard machinegun bursts that scared birds. But it's mostly quiet now," said Abu Haytham, a government employee, on Sunday.
Residents said dozens of corpses stored in two refrigerator trucks parked near the mosque, where snipers were seen standing near the minaret, had started to decompose after the trucks ran out of diesel.
Overnight rain diluted the pools of spattered blood on the streets, spreading it into wider patches, residents said. Women and children had chanted from rooftops until the early hours, shouting "God is greatest against the tyrant."
The uprising, unthinkable only months ago, flared after mass protests swept across the Arab World, toppling authoritarian leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.
A Syrian rights group said at least 560 civilians have been killed.
Foreign correspondents have largely been excluded from Syria since the protests escalated and the crackdown began.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Adel Safar was quoted on Saturday by state news agency SANA as saying his government would in the coming weeks draw up a "complete plan" of political, judicial and economic reforms.
The pledge was unlikely to dampen the intensity of protests. A severe crackdown followed the once-unthinkable gesture of lifting a decades-old emergency law last month.
The government also has little influence as Assad, his family and the security apparatus have a stranglehold on power.
Syria blames armed groups for the violence. SANA quoted an official military source as saying on Saturday that army and security forces units had been chasing "armed terrorist groups" who had attacked properties in Deraa.


Clic here to read the story from its source.