Syrian army unit deploys on Lebanon border, doesn’t carry out operation

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Syrian army unit was deployed Thursday, Oct 13 near the country's northern border with Lebanon, following reports that injured activists had escaped into the Lebanese territories. he unit did not cross the border with Lebanon and did not carry out any security or military operation. The deployment came hours after two Syrian activists reportedly managed to escape the city of Homs and reach the northern Lebanese region of Akkar.

Meanwhile, Syrian security forces continued their crackdown on activists in the central region of Homs and in Idlib province near the border with Turkey.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops killed three dissidents on Thursday, in clashes that erupted during a raid in the north-western town of Binnish, in Idlib. 'The Syrian army, backed by tanks and armoured troop carriers, launched an assault this morning on Binnish and clashes took places with armed men who were apparently dissidents,' Abdel Rahman said. He added that security forces were carrying out a crackdown and arrests in Homs. 'We have reports that 19 people were arrested since this morning,' he said.

The state-run Syrian news agency SANA reported Thursday that the crackdown in Homs resulted in the arrest of a number of 'armed terrorists.' 'The authorities in the province of Homs Wednesday night arrested 95 wanted men and confiscated a number of cars with fake licence plates used by terrorists in their crimes,' SANA said.

Syrian authorities blame 'gangs of armed terrorists' for the unrest that is gripping their country. According to the United Nations, more than 2,900 people have been killed in Syria since the government crackdown on pro-democracy protests began in mid-March, DPA reported.