Tuesday, November 8, 2011

UN: More than 3,500 killed in Syria since March

Report: Syrian protesters targeted
  • "We are deeply concerned about the situation," a U.N. spokeswoman says
  • The statement comes after opposition groups called for protection of civilians

(CNN) -- More than 3,500 Syrians have been killed since the government crackdown on protesters started in the country in mid-March, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday.

"We are deeply concerned about the situation and by the government's failure to take heed of international and regional calls for an end to the bloodshed," spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement. "Since Syria signed the peace plan sponsored by the League of Arab States last week, more than 60 people are reported to have been killed by military and security forces, including at least 19 on the Sunday that marked Eid al-Adha."

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The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists, said Friday more than 3,800 people have died in Syria since the protests erupted. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and other officials have blamed the violence on outside forces attempting to undermine the 40-year rule of the president's family.

The U.N. statement comes a day after opposition groups called for the international community to protect civilians in the besieged western Syrian city of Homs.

"The Syrian National Council is calling on the Arab League and the U.N. to provide protection to the civilians in Homs as a disaster area," a senior Arab League official said. "They want U.N. troops on the ground, which would require approval from the U.N. Security Council and the cooperation of the Syrian government. It is a complicated process yet the support of humanitarian agencies ... may be essential at this stage."

The council is a recently formed opposition group supported by a coalition of Egyptian activists and based in Turkey.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_world/~3/-Ne61w9vfTg/index.html

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