Syrian tanks enter Latakia, heavy gunfire reported

Syrian human rights activist say tanks moved into the port city of Latakia on Saturday morning causing residents to flee.

Reuters/Mehmet Emin Caliskan

Military vehicles, including tanks and armoured personnel carries, converged on the southern district of Al-Ramleh and heavy gun-fire was heard during the morning.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the arrival of the tanks sparked a mass exodus of residents, especially women and children.

There have been large demonstrations in Al-Ramleh against the regime of President Bashar al Assad.

A wave or arrests was also reported on Thursday.

Elsewhere, an activist in the central region of Homs said troops backed by two tanks
entered the village of Jussiyeh which borders Lebanon, triggering a stampede across the frontier and to neighbouring areas.

Military vehicles, meanwhile, also swooped on the town of Qusayr, also in Homs province, where security and intelligence services launched an arrest campaign.

The Observatory says 2,150 people have been confirmed dead since the protests began in May, including 1,744 civilians and 406 members of the security forces.

Activists said at least 16 people were killed on Friday when security forces opened fire on thousands of anti-regime protesters rallied in flashpoint cities after the Ramadan weekly prayers.

The UK-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory reported:

• Damascus – a man killed at dawn in the suburb of Saqba, two in Harasta and Douma on the outskirts, five wounded;
• Kahn Sheikhun – a woman shot dead;
• Hama – one civilian killed, three wounded;
• Homs – one man killed;
• Deir Ezzor – one man killed.