Syrian troops reportedly fighting rebels over prison January 29, 2013 - 15:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Activists say Syrian troops are fighting rebels over a government intelligence complex and a major prison where opposition figures are reportedly being held in the oil-rich east of the country. According to The Associated Press, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes are taking place in the city of Deir el-Zour, along the border with Iraq. The Observatory said the rebels now control most of the government complex, including the prison, from which they have freed at least 11 opposition figures. It isn't clear if the freed people are fighters or activists. Deir el-Zour has been the scene of heavy fighting during nearly two years of conflict. The aid group Doctors Without Borders said last month the city is being shelled and bombed by government forces almost daily. Partner news  Top stories Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander, led Argentina during the bloodiest days of its Dirty War dictatorship. According to the United Nations, April was Iraq's bloodiest month for almost five years, with 712 people killed. Reports suggest the rebel fighters may have tried to blow up the walls of the prison, which holds some 4,000 inmates.   Partner news |  Latest news Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” to open Moscow Film Fest  The fest will feature retrospectives of films by Bernardo Bertolucci and Costa Gavras, as well as a program devoted to Dutch cinema.Wrekin Hill picks up John Malkovich’s “Siberian Education” Based on the novel by Nicolai Lilin, the film is set in the ghetto of Soviet Russia and follows 2 boys who are members of a gang of exiled Siberians.EU says concerned over human rights record in Russia The European Union said it would closely watch developments affecting non-governmental organizations in Russia.John Lennon’s guitar auctioned for $408,000 The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought by an unidentified U.S. buyer in New York. |
