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(Image source: Voice of America / Wikimedia Commons)
BY ZACH TOOMBS
Forces for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad struck at rebels from the air near their own
capital of Damascus for the first time in the 20-month conflict. Al Jazeera has more.
“This is said to be a Syrian Air Force jet, dropping a bomb on a suburb of Damascus. Activists
say dozens of air strikes were carried out on Monday, the largest number since the uprising
began.”
18 casualties were recorded as a result of the air strikes, though many more Syrians,
both rebels and pro-Assad, were killed Monday and Tuesday in car bombings and shellings
near Damascus.
On Tuesday, one of Assad’s high-ranking Air Force commanders fell victim to assassination,
though The New York Times says it’s unclear who was behind the killing. Although Syria’s
state TV says the commander was shot by rebels...
“...other unconfirmed reports from Syria raised the possibility the general had been
killed by government agents to prevent him from defecting.”
The violence comes at the end of a four-day ceasefire between President Assad and the
rebels seeking to topple Syria’s government, though the period was anything but peaceful.
The BBC reports car bombings and scattered gunfights violated the temporary pact each
of Russia, a one-time ally of Assad, to end the conflict. But, as CNN reports:
solution for Syria determined by its own people.”