7:00 AM - 23 Dec 12 · Details
Yesterday morning, Friday, large parts of Damascus were blacked out in a power shortage which the Government blamed on “terrorists attacking a transformer”.
Opposition forces have also been targeting Republican Guard units and unconfirmed reports this morning also say that there is fighting not far from the Presidential palace and in Douma. Opposition fighters additionally say they have taken the town of Rayhan not far from the notorious prison of Adra
Many of the southern Opposition held suburbs of Damascus continue to come under severe shell and rocket attack and massed Army troops, some withdrawn from other parts of the country, attempted once again, but unsuccessfully, to storm Daraya. Opposition fighters claim to have destroyed 3 Assad tanks in the last 2 days, plus this one destroyed earlier in the week, HERE:
In the Damascus suburb of Zebdeen, indiscriminate Government shelling resulted in serious fires, HERE: And in the suburb of al-Ghutah al-Harbiyah Assad’s soldiers, in leaked video footage, filmed the destruction of their own tanks, HERE:
Christmas Message to the Pope From Kafranbel
In Hama province the Opposition advance continues with fighters entering the pro-Assad town of al-Talisiyah and taking the town of Morek on the Hama/Idlib highway after attacks on numerous checkpoints like this one, HERE:
Government forces have retaliated by shelling towns and positions taken by Opposition fighters earlier.
Fighters also attacked checkpoints at Latmin and took the town of Karnaz. Control of Hama province would virtually prevent the regime reinforcing or supplying any of its units in Idlib province. In Hama province, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), even have their own tank transporter, courtesy of the Government, HERE:
2 predominantly Christian towns, Mahrada and Sqailbiyeh, have been issued with an ultimatum by Opposition fighters this morning to give up their “Assad defenders” or risk an attack.
This map shows the rapid Opposition advance in Hama province in the last 6 days, with forces closing in (Green) on Hama city from all directions (Courtesy of @Markito0171). Larger format can be seen, HERE:
Opposition Making Rapid Advances in Hama Province
FSA FIRE SHOTS AT ALEPPO AIRLINER TO PREVENT ITS USE BY GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTING ARMS AND TROOPS:
In Homs province Opposition fighters have just seized a small army base near Deir Ba’alba, HERE: but the Army continues its relentless attacks on Rastan and Al-Qusair. Unconfirmed reports say that Hezbollah militia have occupied 6 villages between Qusair and the Lebanese border and are using these bases to shell the city.
Zombie Comment on Assad Supporters
In “after Friday prayer demonstrations” across Syria yesterday anti-Government protesters showed their support for the victories so far in Aleppo province.
In Aleppo province itself, the FSA continue their assault against the Mengh helicopter base and also the chemical weapons base and complex at Al-Safira.
On Thursday, Opposition fighters fired at the wheels of a Syrian commercial airliner, preventing it from taking off from Aleppo airport.
Flight RB201 normally flies from Damascus to Cairo, but no foreign commercial flights are now operating from the capital where flying conditions are too hazardous.
Opposition fighters have accused the Assad Government of using commercial airliners to transport both weapons and troops.
Khaldoun, an Opposition commander, said, “Those were warning shots. We wanted to send a message to the regime that all their planes – military and civilian – are within our reach.”
NATO ANNOUNCES POSITION OF PATRIOT MISSILE BATTERIES IN TURKEY AND SAYS ASSAD HAS FIRED YET MORE SCUDS:
On Thursday, NATO said it had detected the Assad regime firing Scud missiles from a base near Damascus towards FSA held areas in Aleppo province, both on Wednesday night and again on Thursday morning. One Scud, which are notoriously inaccurate, landed near the town of Marea not far from the Turkish border, but no casualties have been reported.
More Scud Missiles Fired at FSA Areas
NATO has also announced the location of its Patriot missile batteries which could destroy incoming Scuds with ease.
6 batteries, 2 each from the United States, Netherlands and Germany, will be deployed near the south-eastern Turkish towns of Adana, Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras, none of which are far from the border with Syria.
Each truck-mounted Patriot battery consists of a command post, a radar to track incoming missiles, up to eight launchers with up to eight Patriot missiles each and can simultaneously follow 50 targets.
Finally, some good news for Syria, when on Thursday in Kuwait, the Syrian National Football team beat Iraq 1-0 in the final of the West Asia Cup held every 2 years since 2000.
However, the match failed to escape the political turmoil in Syria when a man ran onto the pitch carrying a Syrian Opposition flag, much to the delight of the crowd, sections of which unfurled their own anti-Assad banners, HERE:
