Founder of Shabiha militia die as anti-Assad protests breakout in his home town

Syrian Revolution News Round- up / Day 566 – Mass anti-Assad protests were reported in his home town in the Latakia suburb of Kerdaha as the founder of the Shabiha organization Mohammad al-Assad known as “the Sheikh of the Mountain” was killed during clashes with armed militias from al-Khayer clan.

At least 30 civilians killed “execution style” were discovered in a basement in southern neighbourhood of Asaly in Damascus. Meanwhile, regime forces committed the 4th massacre in less than a week in the neighbourhood of Barzeh claiming the lives of eight civilians who were discovered near the Tishrin military hospital. Regime forces stormed the Harasta national hospital in the Damascus suburb of Harata and arrested all injured civilians following a heavy shelling that also left more than 13 civilians dead. At least ten people were killed in the Damascus suburb of Douma and ten more died in the provincial town of Deir Suleiman in the eastern Ghouta district due to the fierce and indiscriminate shelling by regime forces. Atavists said at least eight Syrian intelligence agents were killed and several dozen people wounded in a car-bomb attack in the north-eastern town of Qamishli. Several dozen people were also killed as regime forces resumed shelling the Damascus suburbs of Zabadani, Saqba, Kafarbatna, Erbin, Asal al-Ward, Hosh Arab, Mesraba, Mdeira and Hejeira Balad.

In Deir Azzour, at least 41 civilians died, of which nine were killed in an airstrike by a MIG fighter jet that targeted a four-story building in the neigbourhood of Hamidiya, while eight family members were killed “execution style” in the neighbourhood of Qosour. Several dozen people were also reported dead in several neighbourhoods and towns as the fierce fighting and shelling continued in the provincial town of Boukamal and Deir Azzour. Fierce clashes continued for the 3rd consecutive day throughout the city of Aleppo as the regime’s heavy artillery and fighter jets continued to pound the residential areas killing dozens of people and wounding many more. In the meantime, regime forces resumed their fierce and indiscriminate shelling of densely populated areas throughout the country, leaving scores of civilians dead and wounded while destroying dozens of houses. They shelled several neighbourhoods in the city of Homs as well as its provincial towns of Talkalakh, Qosayr and Rastan. They also shelled several villages in the western suburbs of Hama as well as the Daraa suburbs of Inkhel, Bosra, Ghariya Gharbiya, Um Mayathen and the Lajat district. They shelled the Idlib suburbs of Ma’arrat Noman, Sarmin, Kafarnabel, Taftanaz, Has and Heish as well as the Raqa suburbs of Ain Eissa and Tal Abyad in addition to the village of Bakas in the Latakia suburb of Haffeh.