Syrian military launches attack in protest hotspot

As expected the Syrian military has moved its tanks and personnel to the north western city of Jisr al-Shughour. This was reported by the Syrian television who described the move as a mission to restore security.

The Syrian security officials had said earlier in the week that about 120 security personnel were killed in the city by a group they described as armed gang. The residents of the town had expected the military assault and many of them have crossed over to the neighboring Turkey. The fleeing refugees reported that dozens of tank had moved into the city. It is feared that about 2,800 residents of the town which is said to have a population of about 5000 people have already fled the town to Turkey.

Foreign journalist are not allowed into Syria since the crises started and even those refugees that crossed the border to Turkey were not allowed to talk to the foreign journalists.

The movement of the army into the town is a retaliation of the reported killing of 120 security men in the town. However there is an opposing view of the 120 soldiers said to have been killed; the Syrian opposition said that the figure are soldiers who were loyal to president Assad but now defected to the opposition.