BEIRUT – Syrian opposition activists accused forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of bombarding rebel areas yesterday as a UN mission was expected to arrive in Damascus in a first step to implement an international peace plan.
Activists said at least 80 people have been killed since Tuesday despite the imminent arrival of the advance team from the United Nations peacekeeping department.
The advance mission is part of the latest international effort to end a year of bloodshed that began with peaceful protests against Dr Assad’s authoritarian rule in March 2011.
Russia, an ally of Dr Assad, said Syrian forces had begun withdrawing from cities and towns in accordance with the peace plan of international mediator Kofi Annan.
However, Syrian activists said troops and police loyal to Dr Assad had pressed on with their campaign of raids and arrests in rebel areas, accompanied by bombardments, gun battles and sniper attacks.
“Since this morning they have been shelling Khalidiya neighbourhood, that is in its 17th day,” said activist Hadi Abdullah by telephone from Homs, the city of one million which has suffered most in the uprising. “Whatever it is that hits the area leaves a horrible sulphur smell, like rotten eggs.”
Amnesty International said it had counted 232 deaths since Syria accepted Dr Annan’s plan on March 27th.
Dr Assad’s government meanwhile issued its latest official death toll for the 12-month uprising. It told the United Nations that 6,044 people had been killed, of whom 2,566 were soldiers and police.
The United Nations itself says Dr Assad’s forces have killed more than 9,000 people in the past year.
The mission, headed by Norwegian general Robert Mood, is part of efforts to implement a deal between Assad and UN-Arab League envoy Annan for an April 10th withdrawal of Syrian forces, to be followed by a ceasefire by rebel forces within 48 hours.
During the visit, it is expected to discuss deploying about 250 UN monitors to oversee a ceasefire. But Dr Assad’s acceptance of a troop withdrawal has met with scepticism among the Syrian opposition and its western and Arab supporters.
“The Syrian authorities have said they will do that by April 10th,” British foreign secretary William Hague said in London.”There is no sign of them doing it so far. Attacks on the citizens, the civilians of their country, have continued; the murder, oppression and torture of the regime has continued . . .”
Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov said the withdrawal was under way. – (Reuters)