FSA CAPTURE YET ANOTHER AIRBASE, THIS TIME NEAR THE BORDER WITH IRAQ, PLUS STOCKS OF WEAPONS:
TIMELINE – 17th NOVEMBER 2012 14.10 GMT:
The Assad regime has kept up its shell and jet attacks from early this morning, targeting in particular the cities of Homs and Deraa and also Rastan and Ma’arrat Al-Numan, where there were 5 jet strikes alone early today.
Another Ruined Home in Ma’arrat Al-Numan
Many civilian casualties are reported. Ominously, all entrances to Damascus were blocked by the Army early this morning, Saturday, too.
Yesterday’s mortar attack on the peaceful protest after Friday prayers in Aleppo (scroll down and see below) appears to have been deliberate, killing and wounding many, including Al Arabiya journalist Mohammad Dughmush, who was evacuated to Turkey with head and back injuries.
Al Arabiya has a report and video footage, HERE:
Andrew Simmonds reports from inside Aleppo on the work of an organisation called “Sedk” (meaning “honesty” in Arabic) which provides ambulances, food and even heating oil sent by sympathetic “Assad” troops apparently working covertly for the FSA on the Government side, HERE:
However, as well as the complete liberation of Ras al-Ayn in Hasaka province, Opposition activists are also reporting the capture of the town of Dibsi Afnan in Raqqa province and Abu Kamel in Deir el-Zour province plus, significantly, the nearby airbase of Hamadan, not far from the Iraq border.
Video footage shows jubilant FSA fighters at the airbase, HERE: and HERE: plus a large store of commandeered weapons (plus a canary?), HERE:
The FSA have also added to their arsenal this interesting home-made remote control machine gun, HERE:
MORE ASSAD OFFICERS, SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES DEFECT TO THE FSA BASE INSIDE TURKEY:
According to the Turkish authorities, another 53 defectors crossed the Syrian border into Turkey’s Hatay province yesterday, including a general, 12 other officers and an unspecified number of soldiers and their families. They were transferred to the Apaydin refugee camp, where most of Syria’s defected military officers are based.
3 Assad soldiers also defected to the FSA in the Tadamon district of Damascus this week, much to the joyous acclaim of the Opposition fighters, HERE:
Another Helicopter Brought Down by FSA Fire
The FSA also downed a helicopter at Deir Al-Asafeer in Deir el-Zour province, killing all the flight crew.
Flying helicopters must now be a very hazardous occupation in Syria.
While the Syrian economy is under severe strain because of the 20 month old crisis and rumours persist that a number of Syria’s banks face financial collapse by the end of 2012, Lebanese banks have admitted a loss of $400 million in Syria, one of them, Audi Bank, saying it has lost two-thirds of its assets.
Unlike Syria however, the Lebanese economy is expected to grow slowly in 2013.
