Rebels seize Deraa army post in battle for cradle of Syria revolt
- 11 years ago
STORY: Syrian rebels said they overran a major military checkpoint in Deraa on Friday (June 28) and hoped it would allow them to capture the southern city, the cradle of their 27-month-old uprising.
Activists uploaded video to a social media website showing what they say are fighters blowing up two high-rise buildings which had flanked the army post, flattening the entire area in a cloud of dust.
Reuters cannot independently verify the content of the video.
The Syrian conflict began in Deraa as a peaceful protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, but has spread across the country and degenerated into civil war.
More than 100,000 people have died, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which works with a network of activists across Syria.
Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Observatory, said the fall of the army post on Friday was strategically significant for Deraa, where protesters first marched against four dec
Activists uploaded video to a social media website showing what they say are fighters blowing up two high-rise buildings which had flanked the army post, flattening the entire area in a cloud of dust.
Reuters cannot independently verify the content of the video.
The Syrian conflict began in Deraa as a peaceful protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, but has spread across the country and degenerated into civil war.
More than 100,000 people have died, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which works with a network of activists across Syria.
Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Observatory, said the fall of the army post on Friday was strategically significant for Deraa, where protesters first marched against four dec