Syrian Rebels Attack Damascus Military Base, Form Council

Is this the first steps in a Syrian civil war as protesters take up arms against the Assad regime.

Syrian rebel attack on army vehicles (BMP)

Posted Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 8:50 am

Syrian opposition activists say army defectors have attacked a government base near the capital, Damascus, and formed a rebel council in an escalation of an eight-month uprising against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian protests

The activists say rebels of the Free Syrian Army fired rockets and machine guns at an air force intelligence complex in the Damascus suburb of Harasta early Wednesday. There was no independent confirmation of the rebel attack or information about casualties.

A Germany-based spokesman for Syria's Local Coordination Committees told VOA that the Free Syrian Army has established a temporary military council whose goal is to weaken the Syrian security forces. Hozan Ibrahim says the Syrian rebels announced the formation of the council in a statement released late Tuesday. The Free Syrian Army previously had no announced central command.

A group of men claiming to be Syrian army defectors also released a video statement Wednesday declaring their desertion from the pro-Assad military.

Army attacks on civilians

Syrian army defectors have engaged in increasingly deadly battles with government forces in the past week. But those confrontations had been concentrated outside the capital, including the northwestern region of Idlib, the central region of Homs and southern region of Daraa.

Logo of the Free Syrian Army

President Assad faced increased regional isolation Wednesday, as foreign ministers from Arab nations and Turkey met in Morocco to consider additional sanctions against Syria for refusing to end the crackdown. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the gathering the Syrian government “will pay a high price.” Syria boycotted the talks.

The league voted Saturday to suspend Syria's membership, accusing Damascus of failing to implement a deal with the regional bloc to stop the violent crackdown on dissent. The suspension was due to take effect Wednesday.

Government loyalists also have staged mass rallies in recent weeks. Syrian state television showed thousands of Assad supporters rallying in the port of Latakia Wednesday, holding up his picture and denouncing the Arab League.

The United Nations says at least 3,500 people have been killed in connection with the Syrian revolt since March. Syria blames much of the violence on foreign-backed terrorists and religious extremists.