THE OBSERVER: Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracyThe Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troops on Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy.
Tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered the city and troops stormed the Omari mosque, a hub for protesters, killing four people as Syria's government continued to crush dissent in the city, which has been at the centre of the six-week uprising.
Activists said that houses in the Karak district of the city were damaged by shelling which started at 5am local time on Saturday, the sixth day of a sustained siege on the city.
"They are trying to break the will of the protesters and residents while also arresting any leaders," said Rami Nakhle, a Syrian cyber-activist based in Beirut.
The assault on the Omari mosque lasted 90 minutes, during which troops fired tank shells and heavy machine guns, resident Abdullah Abazeid told Associated Press. Three helicopters participated in the operation, dropping paratroopers on top of the mosque itself, he said.
Among the dead was the son of the mosque's imam, Ahmed al-Sayasna, residents said. Sayasna is in hiding, accused by the government of inciting protests. » | Katherine Marsh in Damascus | The Guardian | Saturday, April 30, 2011
