Syria: 12 Year-Old Boy Beaten to Death

Syria - In Homs the victim a 12-year-old boy, Qassem Al Ahmad, beaten to death by plainclothes police during a raid in one of three areas (Bab Sibaa, Bab Amr and Tall Assur) by police and the army, backed by tanks. Yesterday evening the news came in that two protestors had been killed in Deir Al-Zor, in the north-eastern part of the country, by security forces. Entire residential areas of Homs, Syria's third largest city, have been without water, electricity and telephones since Friday, as is also the case in Baniyas, a port in the north-west where at least six people including four women were killed on Saturday. The latter is also where, according to human rights activists, two of the alleged leaders of the revolt, Sheik Anas Al Ayut and Bassam Sahiuni, have been arrested over the past few hours in a wide sweep-up operation which saw about 250 people arrested. Since Sunday morning tanks have also been occupying Tafas, a small of about 30,000 inhabitants north of Deraa in the Hawran area along the border with Jordan, which since April 25 has been a sealed-off military zone. The tanks entered the town shortly after dawn under the protection of security forces who arrested at least 200 people. Full Story>>