30/12/2011 | Argentina

Seventeen dead as Syrians stage mass protests

Syrian security forces opened fire at protesters, killing at least 12, as hundreds of thousands filled the streets of restive cities to demonstrate against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said.

18/06/2013 | World

G8 leaders call for peace talks as soon as possible to resolve Syrian civil war

Global leaders called for peace talks to be held as soon as possible to resolve the Syrian civil war but they failed to mention the fate of President Bashar al-Assad in a final G8 summit communique.

14/06/2013 | World

Syrian rebel commander urges West to provide heavy weapons

The commander of Syria's main rebel fighting force urged Western allies to supply anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles and to create a no-fly zone, saying if properly armed he could defeat President Bashar al-Assad's army within six months.

15/06/2013 | World

Morsi cuts Egypt's Syria ties, backs no-fly zone

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said he had cut all diplomatic ties with Damascus on Saturday and called for a no-fly zone over Syria, pitching the most populous Arab state firmly against President Bashar al-Assad.

17/06/2013 | World

Putin, Obama face off over Syria; rebels get Saudi missiles

The leaders of Russia and the United States, now openly backing opposing sides in Syria's civil war, played down their differences after talks where tensions had clearly flared over the escalating conflict.

06/06/2013 | World

Pro-Assad forces attack villages near fallen Syrian border town

Syrian troops and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters pushed toward villages near Qusair, a day after driving rebels from the border town shattered in weeks of combat.

08/06/2013 | World

Syrian forces capture final rebel stronghold in Qusair region

Syrian government troops backed by Hezbollah guerrillas seized the western village of Buwayda, extinguishing final rebel resistance around the town of Qusair in a fresh success for President Assad.

11/06/2013 | World

At least 70 killed in confrontations at Syrian town of Hatlah

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that at least 60 Shiites and 10 rebels were killed in confrontations at the Sunni town of Hatlah.

04/06/2013 | World

UN rights team believes chemical weapons used in Syria

United Nations human rights investigators said today they had "reasonable grounds" to believe that limited amounts of chemical weapons had been used in Syria and warned that the shattered country was in "free-fall".

04/06/2013 | World

UN believes chemical weapons used in Syria

United Nations investigators said they had "reasonable grounds" to believe that limited amounts of chemical weapons had been used in Syria, and France said the nerve agent sarin had been deployed by the government.

05/06/2013 | World

Syrian rebels lose strategic town in boost for Assad, ally Hezbollah

Syrian government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies seized control of the border town of Qusair, dealing a major defeat to rebel fighters battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

29/05/2013 | World

Russia faults US over 'odious' Syria rights resolution

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced as "odious" a US-backed draft resolution condemning the Syrian government before a debate at the UN and said it would undermine peace efforts.

30/05/2013 | World

Besieged Syria rebels seek help, Assad eyes missiles

Syrian rebels under siege near the Lebanese border pleaded for help against government troops and their Hezbollah allies as a confident President Bashar al-Assad spoke of having new Russian missiles.

01/06/2013 | World

Fighting in Syria's Qusair; UN says world watching

Syrian troops and Hezbollah guerrillas besieging the border town of Qusair fought with rebels as the United Nations warned all sides they could be held accountable for the suffering of civilians trapped there.

26/05/2013 | World

Rockets hit south Beirut after Hezbollah vows Syria victory

Two rockets hit a Shi'ite Muslim district of Beirut, driving home the risk of spillover from Syria's civil war, after the head of Lebanese Shi'ite militant Hezbollah said it would keep fighting on the Syrian government's side until victory.

27/05/2013 | World

Syria fighting rages amid reports of chemical attacks

Heavy fighting raged today around the strategic border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus, amid renewed reports of chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

28/05/2013 | World

Russia says missile systems for Syria will deter intervention

Russia will not scrap plans to deliver an air defence system to Syria despite Western opposition because it would help deter "hotheads" intent on intervention in the two-year-old conflict, the deputy foreign minister said today.

19/05/2013 | World

Hezbollah suffers big losses in Syria battle-activists

US President Barack Obama voiced concern at Hezbollah's growing role in the Syrian civil war after men from the Lebanese militia fought their biggest battle yet alongside President Bashar al-Assad's army.

21/05/2013 | World

Israel fires back at Syria after gunshots at its troops

Israeli troops shot at a target across the Syrian frontier today in response to gunfire that struck its forces in the Golan Heights, the Israeli military said.

25/05/2013 | World

Syrian opposition resumes tough talks on unity key to peace push

Syria's opposition resumed talks aimed at closing their fractious ranks, crucial to launching an international peace conference, and government forces pressed an onslaught on a rebel-held town to try to gain the upper hand in civil war.

16/05/2013 | World

Video shows al Qaeda-linked fighters executing 11 Syrian soldiers

A video showed fighters of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in Syria executing 11 men they accused of taking part in massacres by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

17/05/2013 | World

Pro-Assad hackers attack UK newspaper FT's website

The website of British newspaper the Financial Times was hacked today, apparently by the "Syrian Electronic Army", a group of hackers and on-line activists who say they support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

17/05/2013 | World

US chides Russia for sending missiles, peace plans suffer

The United States chided Russia for sending missiles to the Syrian government as plans for a peace conference promoted by Washington and Moscow were hit by diplomatic rifts over its scope and purpose.

09/05/2013 | World

Hezbollah says Syria will send it new arms after Israeli raid

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Syria would respond to Israeli raids around Damascus by giving his group sophisticated new weapons, the outcome Israel said its attack was launched to avert.

11/05/2013 | World

Car bombs kill 43 in Turkey near the border with Syria

Twin car bombs killed 43 people and wounded many more in a Turkish town near the Syrian border and the government said it suspected Syrian involvement.

15/05/2013 | World

UN General Assembly to vote on Syria resolution

The UN General Assembly is set to vote today on a draft resolution that condemns Syrian authorities and accepts the opposition Syrian National Coalition as party to a potential political transition.

06/05/2013 | World

Israel to Assad: air strikes did not aim to help Syria rebels

Israel sought to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that its recent air strikes around Damascus did not aim to weaken him in the face of a more than two-year-old rebellion.

06/05/2013 | World

Israel says 'no winds of war' despite Syria strikes

Israel played down weekend air strikes close to Damascus reported to have killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, saying they were not aimed at influencing its neighbour's civil war but only at stopping Iranian missiles reaching Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

07/05/2013 | World

US, Russia seek new Syria peace talks; rebels sceptical

Russia and the United States agreed to seek new peace talks with both sides to end Syria's civil war, but opposition leaders were sceptical of an initiative they fear might let President Bashar al-Assad hang on to power.

30/04/2013 | World

Obama signals won't rush to act against Syria over chemical arms

President Barack Obama cautioned against a rush to judgment on whether Syria used chemical weapons against its own people in a sign he is going to take a deliberate approach to a problem that could lead to US military action.

03/05/2013 | World

Obama says does not foresee sending US troops to Syria

President Barack Obama said he does not foresee a scenario in which he would send US ground troops to Syria and outlined a deliberate approach to determining whether the Syrian government had used chemical weapons in a 2-year civil war.

04/05/2013 | World

Explosions in Damascus, Syria blames Israel

Explosions shook Damascus early and Syrian state television said Israeli rockets had struck a military research center on the outskirts of the capital.

28/04/2013 | World

Fighting reported near suspected chemical arms site in Syria

Fighting erupted in Damascus near a complex linked to Syria's chemical weapons programme, on the third day of an offensive by President Bashar al-Assad's forces aimed at driving rebels from main sectors of the capital, activists said.

29/04/2013 | World

Syria says PM survives Damascus bomb attack

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus, state media and activists said, as rebels struck in the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's capital.

29/04/2013 | World

Obama stresses Syria chemical weapons worries in call with Putin

President Barack Obama took US concerns about Syrian chemical weapons to Russian President Vladimir Putin, reaching out to one of the Syrian government's staunchest allies.

17/04/2013 | World

Syrian army, rebels clash around air base near Lebanon border

President Bashar al-Assad's forces killed at least 27 people in fighting to fend off a rebel advance on a Syrian military air base near the Lebanese border, opposition campaigners said.

26/04/2013 | World

Obama talks tough, shows no rush to act on Syria chemical arms evidence

President Barack Obama warned Syria that its use of chemical weapons would be a "game changer" for the United States but made clear he was in no rush to intervene in the Syrian civil war on the basis of evidence he said was still preliminary.

28/04/2013 | World

US lawmakers press Obama to take action on Syria

Republican senators pressed US President Barack Obama to intervene in Syria's civil war, saying America could attack Syrian air bases with missiles but should not send in ground troops.

08/04/2013 | World

Suicide car bomber kills 15, brings chaos to Damascus

A suicide car bomb exploded in the main business district of Damascus today, killing at least 15 people, setting cars ablaze and damaging buildings, according to state television.

13/04/2013 | World

Four Italian journalists kidnapped in Syria freed

Four Italian journalists kidnapped and held in Syria since April 4 had been freed, Italy's interim Foreign Minister Mario Monti said in a statement.

17/04/2013 | World

Russian foreign minister tells West 'don't isolate Assad'

In an implicit warning to international supporters of Syrian opposition forces, Russia's foreign minister said that efforts to isolate one side in the conflict would wreck the chances of a negotiated solution and help militant Islamists.

24/03/2013 | World

John Kerry asks Iraq to stop arms to Syria

US Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to stop Iranian flights over Iraq from carrying arms to Syria during a visit to the Iraqi capital.

28/03/2013 | World

Mortar attack kills 12 students in Damascus university

Twelve Syrian students were killed today when rebel mortar bombs landed on the canteen of Damascus University's College of Architecture, two pro-government television channels said.

06/04/2013 | World

Air strike kills 15 in Aleppo, Assad warns of regional turmoil

A Syrian government air strike killed 15 people, including nine children, in a district of the northern city of Aleppo where Kurdish fighters have been battling forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a violence monitoring group said.

22/03/2013 | World

France, Britain fail to win easing of Syria arms ban

France and Britain failed to persuade the European Union to back their call to lift an arms embargo on Syrian rebels on Friday despite warning that President Bashar al-Assad could resort to using chemical weapons.

23/03/2013 | World

Syria rebels seize southern base, border area

Rebels seized an air defence base near Syria's strategic southern international highway, activists said, bolstering access to supply routes to the capital Damascus.

24/03/2013 | World

US urges Iraq to stop arms flow to Syria

US Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit to Iraq and will urge Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to make sure Iranian flights over Iraq do not carry arms and fighters to Syria, a US official said.

13/03/2013 | World

Report reveals Syria's children shot at, tortured, raped

Syrian children have been shot at, tortured and raped during two years of unrest and civil war, the London-based international charity Save the Children said in a report released today.

15/03/2013 | World

EU rejects Franco-British push on arms for Syrian rebels

European Union governments rejected a Franco-British push today to lift an EU arms embargo to allow weapons supplies to Syrian rebels, voicing fears this could spark an arms race and worsen regional instability.

17/03/2013 | World

Syria's two years of rebellion

02/03/2013 | World

Syrian army, rebel clashes bring conflict to Iraq doorstep

Clashes between the Syrian army and rebels at a border post brought the civil war close to neighbouring Iraq, where troops fired warning shots into the air, residents, officials and a Reuters reporter said.

04/03/2013 | World

Kerry: US more confident arms flow to Syria moderates

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Washington was increasingly confident that weapons being sent to the Syrian opposition by other countries were going to moderate forces.

09/03/2013 | World

Freed UN peacekeepers cross into Jordan from Syria

Twenty-one United Nations peacekeepers held by rebels for three days in southern Syria crossed into Jordan, after an ordeal which highlighted how Syria's civil war is ratcheting up tensions on its volatile borders.

28/02/2013 | World

US to give Syrian rebels medical, food aid, not arms

The United States will send non-lethal aid directly to Syrian rebels for the first time, Secretary of State John Kerry said, disappointing opponents of President Bashar al-Assad who are clamoring for Western weapons.

28/02/2013 | World

Syria's Assad deluded by his inner circle, UN envoy Brahimi says

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been convinced by his inner circle that his country is the victim of a broad conspiracy led by terrorists, UN/Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said.

01/03/2013 | World

Assad forces take Aleppo village, reopening supply line

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces seized a village southeast of the city of Aleppo today, reopening a supply line to the country's biggest city where they have been battling rebels for eight months, a monitoring group said.

13/02/2013 | World

Syrian troops bombard rebel posts around capital

President Bashar al-Assad's forces bombarded the southeast of Damascus with air strikes and artillery today to try and dislodge rebel fighters who have gained a foothold in the Syrian capital, opposition activists said.

22/02/2013 | World

Schools, homes and public parks on front line of Damascus war

Syria's civil war has burst into central Damascus and its indiscriminate violence has put civilians in the firing line.

25/02/2013 | World

Syria says ready to talk with armed opposition

Syria is ready to hold talks with its armed opponents, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said, in the clearest offer yet of negotiations with rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

31/01/2013 | World

Syria warns of "surprise" response to Israel attack

Syria warned of a possible "surprise" response to Israel's attack on its territory and Russia condemned the air strike as an unprovoked violation of international law.

10/02/2013 | World

Opposition 'would talk to Assad in northern Syria'

Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib said he was willing to hold peace talks with President Bashar al-Assad's representatives in rebel-held areas of northern Syria.

11/02/2013 | World

Syrian rebels seize country's largest dam

Syrian rebels have taken control of the country's biggest dam on the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Raqqa, activists said.

27/01/2013 | World

Israel threatens Syria strike if rebels get chemical arms

Any sign that Syria's grip on its chemical weapons is slipping as it battles armed rebels could trigger Israeli military strikes, Israel's vice premier said.

29/01/2013 | World

Sixty-five people executed in Syria's Aleppo

At least 65 people were found shot dead with their hands bound in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo today in a "new massacre" in the near two-year revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, activists said.

30/01/2013 | World

UN's Ban Ki-moon urges end to war in Syria

Denouncing "unrelenting horrors" in Syria's war, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for an end to the violence and more aid to address a situation he said was catastrophic and worsening by the day.

10/01/2013 | World

NATO official says more missiles launched in Syria

A short-range ballistic missile was fired inside Syria, following similar launches last week, a NATO official said.

13/01/2013 | World

Russia rejects Assad exit as precondition for Syria deal

Russia voiced support for international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi but insisted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit cannot be a precondition for a deal to end the country's conflict.

14/01/2013 | World

Air strike near Damascus kills 20: opposition activists

An air strike on a rebel-held town southwest of the Syrian capital Damascus killed 20 people, resident opposition activists said.

03/01/2013 | World

Syria rebels in push to capture air base

Rebels battled today to seize an air base in northern Syria, part of a campaign to fight back against the air power that has given President Bashar al-Assad's forces free rein to bomb rebel-held towns

05/01/2013 | World

Assad to make rare speech as Syrian rebels draw nearer

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will deliver a rare speech on Sunday about the uprising against his rule, which has killed 60,000 people and brought civil war to the edge of his capital.

06/01/2013 | World

Assad 'peace plan' greeted with scorn by enemies

A defiant President Bashar al-Assad presented what he described as a new initiative to end the war in Syria but his opponents dismissed it as a ploy to cling to power.

01/01/2013 | World

Syrian government forces go on attack on first day of year

Government war planes bombed opposition-held areas of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels fought on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on New Year's Day today.

02/01/2013 | World

Syrian rebels attack military airport in northwest

Syrian rebels, some from Islamist units, fired machineguns and mortars at helicopters grounded at a northern military air base near the main Aleppo-Damascus highway, a monitoring group said.

02/01/2013 | World

Over 60,000 dead in Syria conflict, UN says

26/12/2012 | World

Shelling in Syria kills 20, at least eight children

Government shelling in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa killed about 20 people, at least 8 of them children, a video posted by activists showed.

27/12/2012 | World

Peace envoy Brahimi, Syria diplomats in Moscow talks

Russia will host Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi this week after Syrian officials held talks in Moscow as part of a diplomatic drive to try to agree a plan to end the 21-month-old conflict, Russia's foreign ministry said.

29/12/2012 | World

Only political process can save Syria from 'hell', envoy warns

Syria faces "hell" if no deal is struck to end 21 months of bloodshed, an international mediator said on Saturday, but his talks in Russia brought no sign of a breakthrough after a week of intense diplomacy.

15/12/2012 | World

Syria opposition forms body to preserve state institutions

Syrian government defectors and opposition figures formed a body today that would step in to prevent the collapse of state institutions if President Bashar al-Assad is overthrown.

23/12/2012 | World

Israel says Syria chemical weapons are secure for now

Syria's chemical weapons are still secure despite the fact that President Bashar al-Assad has lost control of parts of the country, a senior Israeli defense official said.

25/12/2012 | World

Pope's Christmas message: 'hope must not die'

Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.

06/12/2012 | World

With focus on opposition, US races against time on Syria

The United States is racing to finalize elements of its Syria strategy, planning new steps to shape and strengthen the still-fragmented opposition as signs build that the country is nearing a tipping point in the 20-month rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.

07/12/2012 | World

'If Syria used chemical weapons it would be an 'outrageous crime,' UN

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was not aware of any confirmed reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was preparing to use chemical weapons but that if he did so it would be an "outrageous crime".

13/12/2012 | World

Syria denies using Scud missiles

Syria denied today that it had used Scud missiles in its fight against "terrorist groups," a Foreign Ministry statement posted on state news agency SANA said.

03/12/2012 | World

Syria denies plans to use chemical weapons

Syria would not use chemical weapons, if it had them, against its own people, the foreign ministry said in a statement on state television today.

04/12/2012 | World

NATO warns Syria not to use chemical weapons

NATO told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today that any use of chemical weapons in his fight against encroaching rebel forces would be met by an immediate international response.

05/12/2012 | World

Clinton says 'desperate' Assad could use chemical weapons

Washington fears a "desperate" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could use chemical weapons as rebels bear down on Damascus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today, repeating a vow to take swift action if he does.

25/11/2012 | World

Syrian rebels take airbase in slow progress toward Damascus

Syrian rebels said they had captured a helicopter base east of Damascus after an overnight assault, their latest gain in a costly battle to unseat President Bashar al-Assad that is drawing nearer to his seat of power.

30/11/2012 | World

'Anonymous' declares Internet war on Syria

Global hacking network Anonymous said it will shut down Syrian government websites around the world in response to a countrywide Internet blackout believed to be aimed at silencing the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

01/12/2012 | World

Syria rebels bombed as opposition open to peacekeepers

Syrian jets bombed rebel-held areas of Damascus, residents said, as the opposition indicated it could accept an international peacekeeping force if President Bashar al-Assad is forced from power.

10/11/2012 | World

Rebel car bombs rock Syrian town of Deraa

At least 20 Syrian security men were killed when two explosives-laden cars drove into a military camp in the southern town of Deraa, an opposition watchdog said, in what appeared to be a double suicide attack by rebel forces.

11/11/2012 | World

Syria opposition sign deal to form new body

Syrian opposition groups have signed an initial agreement to form a new coalition of forces fighting to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian delegates at talks in Doha said.

12/11/2012 | World

Israel hits Syrian artillery that fired on Golan

Israel's army fired tank shells into Syria today and scored "direct hits" in response to a Syrian mortar shell that struck the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Israeli military said in a statement.

05/11/2012 | World

Air strike kills 20 rebels in Syria

At least 20 Syrian rebel fighters were killed in an air strike in the northwest province of Idlib, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

07/11/2012 | World

Syrian rebels fire at, miss Assad's palace

Syrian rebels fired mortars at President Bashar al-Assad's palace in Damascus today but missed, in an attack underlining the growing boldness of forces fighting to end his family's 42 years in power.

08/11/2012 | World

Syrian rebels hit official forces; I'd live and die in Syria,' Assad warns

Syrian rebels attacked army roadblocks in Midan district in the heart of Damascus today to relieve pressure on outlying rebel strongholds being pounded by air strikes and artillery, opposition activists said.

27/10/2012 | World

Syria bombards major cities, weakening truce

Opposition activists in Syria said forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had renewed their heavy bombardment of major cities on Saturday, further undermining a truce meant to mark the Muslim Eid al-Adha religious holiday.

04/11/2012 | World

Syrian rebels attack air base to secure north-south corridor

Syrian rebels attacked a military airport in the country's north in a push to cut off Syria's biggest city Aleppo from the capital Damascus, and secure a strategic north-south corridor.

05/11/2012 | World

Bomb shakes Damascus, opposition holds unity talks

A bomb exploded near army and security compounds in Damascus, Syrian television reported, and fractured opposition groups seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad began unity talks abroad to win international respect and arms supplies.

23/10/2012 | World

Conflict blazes in Tripoli for second day; 4 killed

Four people were killed and 15 wounded in overnight gun battles in the Lebanese city of Tripoli in a second night of fighting between Sunni and Alawite gunmen loyal to different sides in the war in neighbouring Syria, a military source said today.

24/10/2012 | World

Syria says army still undecided on ceasefire

Syria said its military command was still studying a proposal for a holiday ceasefire with rebels - contradicting international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi's earlier announcement that Damascus had agreed to a truce.

26/10/2012 | World

Fighting, attacks across Syria as ceasefire frays

Fighting across Syria and a large car bomb which exploded near a children's playground in southern Damascus killed several people today as a ceasefire brokered by international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to mark a holy Muslim day frayed almost before it had begun.

17/10/2012 | World

Divided Syrian rebels agree on joint leadership

Syria's divided rebels have agreed to set up a joint leadership to oversee their battle to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, two insurgent sources said as fighting raged in cities across the country.

18/10/2012 | World

Peace envoy to visit Syria to work out Eid ceasefire

The international mediator on Syria will go to Damascus in the next few days to try to broker a brief ceasefire in the war between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebels during the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival.

19/10/2012 | World

Peace envoy Brahimi pushes in Syria for ceasefire

Mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will meet Syrian officials over the next few days in an effort to secure a brief ceasefire in the worsening war between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebel forces.

12/10/2012 | World

War intensifies across Syria

Rebels battled to hold onto Syria's main northeastern highway today as government forces fought insurgents on several fronts across the country.

13/10/2012 | World

Turkey condemns UN inertia as Syrian conflict deepens

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rebuked the UN Security Council for inaction over Syria as war intensified across the country, saying the world body of superpowers was repeating mistakes that led to massacres in Bosnia in the 1990s.

14/10/2012 | World

Assad forces accused of using cluster bombs as rebels gain

Syrian government forces have dropped Russian-made cluster bombs over civilian areas in the past week as they battle to reverse rebel gains on a strategic highway, Human Rights Watch said.

08/10/2012 | World

Turkish president says 'worst case' unfolding in Syria

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said the "worst-case scenarios" were now playing out in Syria and Turkey would do everything necessary to protect itself, as its army fired back for a sixth day after a shell from Syria flew over the border.

09/10/2012 | World

Suicide bombers hit Syria security complex, say rebels

Rebel suicide bombers struck overnight at an Air Force Intelligence compound on the edge of the Syrian capital Damascus overnight, killing or wounding at least 100 people, insurgents and activists said today.

10/10/2012 | World

Turkey warns Syria against cross-border shelling

Turkey's military chief of staff said today his troops would respond with greater force if bombardments from Syria keep hitting its territory.

05/10/2012 | World

Turkey warns Syria they will not shy away from war

Turkey's prime minister said his country did not want war but warned Syria not to make a "fatal mistake" by testing its resolve, and its army retaliated for a third day running after more mortar rounds from Syria landed on its soil.

06/10/2012 | World

Turkey strikes back at Syria after Erdogan warning

Turkey returned fire after Syrian mortar bombs landed in a field in southern Turkey today, the day after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned Damascus that the country would not shy away from war if provoked.

07/10/2012 | World

Rebels seize Syrian army outpost at Turkey border

Syrian rebels have seized a government army outpost near the Turkish border province of Hatay and a rebel flag flew over the building, while clashes could be heard in the area of a nearby Syrian village, a witness and villagers said.

03/10/2012 | World

At least 40 people killed in Aleppo explosions

Four blasts ripped through a government-controlled district close to a military officers' club in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 90 today, opposition activists said.

03/10/2012 | World

NATO demands halt to Syria aggression against Turkey

NATO demanded an immediate halt to "aggressive acts" against alliance member Turkey after a mortar strike launched from Syria killed five Turkish civilians.

04/10/2012 | World

Turkey strikes back at Syria, says will protect borders

Turkey stepped up retaliatory artillery strikes on a Syrian border town, killing several Syrian soldiers, while its parliament debated authorizing further military action in the event of another spillover of the Syrian conflict.

20/09/2012 | World

At least 54 killed in Syria blast

At least 54 people were killed and dozens wounded when an air strike hit a fuel station in Syria's northern province of al-Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

26/09/2012 | World

Syrian rebels bomb army command in Damascus

Syrian rebels bombed a military complex in Damascus, striking at the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's power and igniting a fire which gutted the army command headquarters.

27/09/2012 | World

UNHCR: up to 700,000 Syrians could flee by year-end

The number of refugees fleeing Syria could reach 700,000 by the end of the year, the UN refugee agency said today, almost four times its previous forecast.

11/09/2012 | World

Angelina Jolie visits Syria war refugees in Jordan

Syrian refugees stuck in a dust-blown camp in Jordan gave gruesome accounts of civilians incinerated in their country's civil war to UN special envoy and actress Angelina Jolie today, moving her to tears.

14/09/2012 | World

Pope says import of arms to Syria a 'grave sin'

Pope Benedict appealed for a halt to the flow of arms into Syria, saying it would help end a civil war that has killed many thousands of people and which Christians fear could bring Islamists to power.

20/09/2012 | World

Iraq denies airspace used by Iran to ship arms to Syria

Iraq denied today a Western intelligence report that said Iranian aircraft had flown weapons and military personnel over Iraqi airspace to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad battle an 18-month-old uprising.

08/09/2012 | World

EU may impose new Syria sanctions as Assad clings to power

The European Union may impose new sanctions on the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad as soon as next month, EU diplomats said.

09/09/2012 | World

After Russia talks, Clinton sees divisions on Syria

Sharp divisions remain with Moscow over the Syria crisis, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, as she wrapped up an Asia tour in which she also made little headway with China on easing tensions in the South China Sea.

10/09/2012 | World

Simultaneous bombs hit army compounds in Aleppo

Two bombs exploded simultaneously next to Syrian army compounds in the northern city of Aleppo, killing and wounding scores of President Bashar al-Assad's forces, residents and opposition activists said.

04/09/2012 | World

Red Cross chief holds aid talks with Syria's Assad

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus today during a mission to push for better access for aid workers, an ICRC spokesman said.

05/09/2012 | World

Rebels hit army headquarters in Damascus

Syrian rebels said they planted bombs inside the Syrian army's General Staff headquarters in central Damascus on Sunday as President Bashar al-Assad's forces bulldozed buildings to the ground in parts of the capital that have backed the uprising.

06/09/2012 | World

US urges Iraq to inspect Iran supply flights to Syria

US officials are questioning Iraq about Iranian flights in Iraqi airspace suspected of ferrying weapons to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose conflict with rebels threatens to drag his neighbors into a regional struggle.

28/08/2012 | World

Warplane attacks on Damascus suburbs kill 60, activists say

Syrian fighter planes made rare sorties on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, killing at least 60 people in its eastern suburbs, the same day a Syrian military helicopter crashed while under rebel fire, activists said.

01/09/2012 | World

Syrian rebels hit back at Assad's air power

Rebels seized an air defence facility and attacked a military airport in eastern Syria, a monitoring group said, hitting back at an air force on which President Bashar al-Assad is increasingly relying to crush his opponents.

03/09/2012 | World

Syria says envoy can only succeed if rebels lose outside support

Syria said new UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi could only make headway if outside countries ceased helping rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad and instead declared support for a UN-backed peace plan.

25/08/2012 | World

Fierce fighting in Syria swells refugee exodus

Syrian troops forced rebels to abandon a battered Damascus suburb yesterday in the latest battle of an intensifying civil war that the UN refugee agency said had prompted more than 200,000 people to flee the country.

26/08/2012 | World

Assad's forces accused of massacre near Syrian capital

Syrian opposition activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's army of massacring scores of people in a town close to the capital that it recently recaptured from rebels.

27/08/2012 | World

Syrian helicopter down under fire in Damascus

A Syrian military helicopter came down under fire and in flames in Damascus as President Bashar al-Assad's air force strafed and bombarded rebel-held districts in the capital and in Aleppo.

21/08/2012 | World

Russia warns West over Syria after Obama threats

Russia warned the West against unilateral action on Syria, a day after US President Barack Obama threatened "enormous consequences" if his Syrian counterpart used chemical or biological arms or even moved them in a menacing way.

23/08/2012 | World

Military hits town near Damascus, 60 killed in Syria

Troops and tanks swept into a restive town near Damascus today in an assault aimed at crushing opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, whose struggle for survival has dragged Syria into an increasingly bloody war.

24/08/2012 | World

New Syria mediator tells UN chief he is 'scared'

Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he was "honored, flattered, humbled and scared" at the prospect of leading international efforts to broker peace in Syria's worsening 17-month conflict.

19/08/2012 | World

Syria: Assad makes rare appearance for prayers

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad performed Eid prayers in a Damascus mosque today, state television showed, his first appearance in public since a stunning July bombing in the capital that killed four of his top security officials.

20/08/2012 | World

UN monitors pull out of Syria

United Nations military observers left Damascus after a four-month mission in which they became helpless spectators of Syria's spiraling conflict, instead of monitoring a ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels.

20/08/2012 | World

US sends al-Assad invasion warning

US forces could move against Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, President Barack Obama warned, notably if he deploys his chemical weapons against rebels trying to overthrow him.

16/08/2012 | World

UN Syria mission to end, new blow to peace efforts

The United Nations' four-month-old observer mission in Syria will withdraw from the country next week, diplomats and UN officials said, yet another blow to the world body's efforts to broker an end to the conflict.

17/08/2012 | World

UN monitors quit, saying Syrians choose 'path of war'

Syria's government and rebels have "chosen the path of war", a UN peacekeeping chief said as the world body ended its doomed monitoring mission to Damascus and deadlock persists among world powers over how to contain the spreading conflict.

18/08/2012 | World

Syria says Assad's deputy did not try to defect

Syria's Vice-President Farouq al-Shara has never considered leaving the country, state media said on Saturday, after reports that Shara had tried to defect to neighbouring Jordan.

14/08/2012 | World

Syria's Assad suffers rebuff from pan-Islamic body

President Bashar al-Assad faced another diplomatic blow with the suspension of Syria from the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a step opposed by his Shi'ite Muslim ally Iran.

15/08/2012 | World

Syria: bomb strikes Damascus near UN and army sites

A bomb exploded in central Damascus today near several military buildings and a hotel housing UN observers, wounding three people and sending a pillar of black smoke into the sky above the Syrian capital.

16/08/2012 | World

Gulf Arab states evacuate citizens from Lebanon

Gulf Arab states began evacuating their citizens from Lebanon after kidnappings linked to Syria's civil war showed violence has begun to spread across a region torn by sectarian divisions.

09/08/2012 | World

Syria's Assad replaces PM, Aleppo battles rage

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appointed Health Minister Wael al-Halki as prime minister today, after the defection earlier this week of Prime Minister Riyad Hijab. Meanwhile, Syrian forces continued to pound rebels today in a strategic district of Aleppo.

11/08/2012 | World

Eleven killed in Syrian army attack in Damascus area

At least 11 people were killed in fierce fighting that broke out in a Damascus suburb today when Syrian forces mounted an armoured attack to try and regain the area from rebels, opposition activists said.

12/08/2012 | World

US and Turkey weigh no-fly zones for Syria

The United States and Turkey are looking at all measures to help Syrian rebel forces fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, including a no-fly zone, as the conflict there deepens, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

05/08/2012 | World

Eye on Iran and Syria, Israel hardens missile shield

Israel is upgrading its Arrow II ballistic missile shield in a US-backed "race" against Iran, Syria and other regional enemies, a senior Israeli defense official said.

06/08/2012 | World

Syria premier defects to anti-Assad opposition, says spokesman

Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has defected to the opposition seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a spokesman for Hijab said today, marking one of the most high profile desertions from the Damascus government.

07/08/2012 | World

Syrian forces encircle rebels in Aleppo stronghold

Syrian rebels trying to fight off an army offensive in Aleppo said today they were running low on ammunition as President Bashar al-Assad's forces encircled their stronghold at the southern entrance to the country's biggest city.

02/08/2012 | World

Annan quits as international Syria mediator

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is stepping down as the UN-Arab League mediator in the 17-month-old Syria conflict at the end of the month, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.

04/08/2012 | World

Syrian forces pound rebel frontline in Aleppo

Syrian army helicopter fired machinegun rounds and troops shelled rebel positions in Aleppo on Saturday, a witness said, as they tried to break through the insurgents' frontline in a battleground district in the country's largest city.

05/08/2012 | World

Assad's forces pound rebel stronghold in Aleppo

Syrian army tanks shelled Aleppo and a helicopter gunship strafed rebel positions with heavy machinegun fire as they fought for control of the country's biggest city and key battleground of the 17-month uprising.

26/07/2012 | World

Syrian forces pound Aleppo and Damascus

Damascus and Syria's second biggest city, Aleppo, came under shell fire today as troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad stepped up efforts to crush rebels threatening the government's two main power centres.

28/07/2012 | World

Military helicopters pound Aleppo as onslaught looms

Military helicopters pounded a rebel-held district of Aleppo on Saturday and armoured units positioned themselves for an onslaught that could determine the fate of Syria's biggest city, opposition sources said.

29/07/2012 | World

Syria strikes putting 'nail in Assad's own coffin,' Panetta says

Attacks on the Syrian city of Aleppo are putting the nail in the coffin of President Bashar al-Assad's government, showing he lacks the legitimacy to rule, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said.

23/07/2012 | World

UN's Ban voices concern on Syria chemical weapons

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was concerned about the risk of Syria using chemical weapons after Damascus warned it could deploy its arsenal of them if it felt threatened by foreign intervention.

23/07/2012 | World

Syria says could use chemical arms against foreign intervention

Syria acknowledged for the first time today that it had chemical and biological weapons and said it could use them if foreign countries intervened.

24/07/2012 | World

Syrian forces battle rebel push on central Aleppo

Syrian troops fought rebels trying to seize central Aleppo and quelled a jail mutiny on the outskirts of the northern city, killing 15 prisoners, opposition activists said.

21/07/2012 | World

Syrian forces fight rebels in Damascus, residents flee

Syrian troops backed by helicopters and tanks have struck back in Damascus against rebel fighters emboldened by a bomb attack against President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.

22/07/2012 | World

Syrian forces bombard Damascus

Syrian forces bombarded parts of Damascus with helicopter gunships, witnesses said, clawing back territory from the rebels a week after the fighters launched what they called a final battle for the capital.

23/07/2012 | World

More than 100 killed in attacks across Iraq

More than 100 people were killed in bomb and gun attacks in Iraq after 20 died in blasts the previous day in a coordinated surge of violence against mostly Shi'ite Muslim targets.

20/07/2012 | World

Syria: intelligence chief dies, refugees flood borders

A fourth member of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle died today from a bomb attack this week and his forces fought to recapture border posts and parts of Damascus from rebels who have converged on the capital.

20/07/2012 | World

UN Security Council approves extension to Syria mission

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a 30-day extension to a UN monitoring mission in Syria that had been deployed as part of international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan to end the 16-month conflict that has killed thousands.

21/07/2012 | World

UN chief to send envoy to assess situation in Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he is sending his undersecretary for peacekeeping operations to Syria to assess the situation there as Syrian government forces and rebels continue fighting over the control of the country.

18/07/2012 | World

Syrian defence minister killed in bomb attack

Syria's defence minister was killed in a bomb attack on a high level security meeting in Damascus today, state television said, as the revolt against Bashar al-Assad struck at the heart of the president's inner circle.

18/07/2012 | World

Two Syrian rebel groups claim Damascus attack

Two rebel Syrian groups claimed responsibility for an explosion in Damascus today that killed several top state officials, hailing it as successful strike at the heart of the government.

19/07/2012 | World

Russia, China veto UN Security Council resolution on Syria

Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that threatened Syrian authorities with sanctions if they did not halt violence against an uprising, again thwarting Western hopes for tough action as the crisis in Syria escalates.

09/07/2012 | World

Syria: Annan meets Assad in Damascus

Kofi Annan said he had constructive talks in Damascus today with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who said the UN peace envoy's plan to end 16 months of bloodshed was being undermined by US political support for "terrorists".

12/07/2012 | World

Activists say death toll in attack in Hama is over 200

Syrian government forces killled more than 200 people, most of them civilians, in a village in the province of Hama, opposition activists said.

17/07/2012 | World

Syria fighting rages in capital

Clashes in Damascus between rebels and state forces raged for a third day, in the fiercest fighting to hit Syria's seat of power since the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began 17 months ago.

29/06/2012 | World

Blast hits Damascus, Turkey sends troops to border

Rebel forces attacked Syria's main court in central Damascus, state television said, while Turkey deployed troops and anti-aircraft rocket launchers to the Syrian border, building pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.

30/06/2012 | World

Annan urges world to unite on Syria peace plan

UN mediator Kofi Annan warned that the conflict in Syria would enflame the Middle East and beyond unless world powers agreed on a peace plan but the United States said foreign ministers meeting in Geneva might fail in that task.

07/07/2012 | World

Syria's fighting spills into Lebanon, five killed

Syria's conflict spilled further into Lebanon today when mortar fire from President Bashar al-Assad's forces hit villages in the north, killing five people after rebels crossed the border to seek refuge, residents said.

23/06/2012 | World

Turkish, Syrian forces seek downed Turkish jet

The Turkish and Syrian navies conducted a joint search today for Turkish airmen shot down by Syria over the Mediterranean, only a short distance from a Turkish province hosting thousands of rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

26/06/2012 | World

Assad says Syria at war as battle reaches capital

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared on Tuesday that his country was at war and ordered his new government to spare no effort to achieve victory, as the worst fighting of the 16-month conflict reached the outskirts of the capital.

27/06/2012 | World

Gunmen storm pro-Assad Syrian TV channel

Gunmen stormed a pro-government Syrian TV channel headquarters today, bombing buildings and shooting dead three employees, state media said, in one of the boldest attacks yet on a symbol of the authoritarian state.

16/06/2012 | World

UN suspends Syria monitoring due to rising violence

United Nations monitors in Syria have suspended operations because of the increasing violence over the last 10 days by President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels seeking his overthrow, the head of the observer mission said on Saturday.

17/06/2012 | World

Syria accused of violence rise after UN monitor halt

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army intensified shelling of Sunni Muslim districts in the northwest city of Homs today, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens hours after UN monitors suspended their work, opposition activists said.

18/06/2012 | World

Obama, Putin say Syria violence must end, no plan agreed

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that the violence in Syria has to end but they offered no new solutions and showed no signs of reaching a deal on tougher sanctions against Damascus.

09/06/2012 | World

Shelling kills 17 in cradle of Syrian uprising

Seventeen people, including 10 women, were killed overnight by shelling in the Syrian town of Deraa, where the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted 15 months ago, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

11/06/2012 | World

Syria: Assad forces renew Homs assault

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have renewed efforts to impose control in Homs province, killing at least 35 people in one of the biggest bombardments since a failed UN-mandated ceasefire in April, opposition activists said.

12/06/2012 | World

UN says Syrian helicopters fire on rebel strongholds

UN monitors said Syrian helicopters fired on rebel strongholds north of Homs and called for "immediate and unfettered access" to conflict zones where they had heard many women and children were trapped.

06/06/2012 | World

Syria's Assad names former minister as new PM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad named a Baath Party stalwart to form a new government, signaling no political concessions to a 15-month-old uprising, as helicopters and tanks pounded rebels near the Mediterranean coast.

06/06/2012 | World

US Geithner warns nations will seek 'maximum financial pressure' on Syria's Assad

The US Treasury today warned Syria that more than 55 countries would seek to impose "maximum financial pressure" on President Bashar al-Assad's government in an effort to stop his regime's violence against Syrian people.

06/06/2012 | World

At least 78 killed in Syria's Hama province

Activists said pro-government militia men and security forces killed at least 78 people, including children, in Syria's central province of Hama.

01/06/2012 | World

Annan frustrated over Syria, Russia gives no ground

International envoy Kofi Annan said on Friday he was "frustrated and impatient" a week after a massacre in Syria of 108 people shocked the world, but Russia said his peace plan was still the best hope for Syria.

02/06/2012 | World

Peacemaker Annan talks tough with Syria's Assad

International envoy Kofi Annan criticised President Bashar al-Assad for failing to comply with a peace plan to end the Syria conflict and said his forces were carrying out atrocities, arbitrary arrests and other abuses regardless of the world outcry against him.

04/06/2012 | World

Syria rebels say no longer committed to Annan plan

Syrian rebels are no longer committed to a UN-backed peace plan that has failed to end the violence and have launched attacks on government forces to "defend our people", a spokesman said today.

30/05/2012 | World

UN monitors say 13 killed in cold blood in Syria

UN observers said on Wednesday 13 bodies had been discovered bound and shot in eastern Syria, days after a massacre of 108 civilians, nearly half of them children, ignited a world outcry.

30/05/2012 | World

Syria rebels give Assad 48-hour deadline to end violence

Syrian rebels today gave President Bashar al-Assad a 48-hour deadline to abide by an international peace plan to end violence or face consequences, a rebel spokesman said.

31/05/2012 | World

Syria on brink of sectarian civil war, West says

Syria is nearing full-blown sectarian civil war that would be catastrophic for the entire Middle East, Western nations said, urging Russia to end its support for President Bashar al-Assad and put pressure on him to stop the bloodshed.

27/05/2012 | World

UN Security Council condemns Syria over massacre

The UN Security Council on Sunday unanimously condemned the Syrian government for heavy-weapons attacks on the town of Houla, the site of a massacre of at least 108 people, including many children, the council president said.

28/05/2012 | World

Annan condemns 'appalling crime' on visit to Syria

Peace envoy Kofi Annan condemned the killing of at least 108 people in the Syrian town of Houla as "an appalling crime" today and urged President Bashar al-Assad to prove he wants a peaceful resolution to the crisis racking his country.

29/05/2012 | World

Germany expels Syrian envoy, urges UN to reconsider situation

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expelled the Syrian ambassador today, acting in concert with international partners, and urged the U.N. Security Council to consider again its stance on Syria.

17/05/2012 | World

Russia says action on Syria, Iran may go nuclear

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warnedthat military action against sovereign states could lead to a regional nuclear war, starkly voicing Moscow's opposition to Western intervention ahead of a G8 summit at which Syria and Iran will be discussed

19/05/2012 | World

Nine killed by Syria car bomb, 100 wounded

A car bomb that rocked the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor killed nine people and wounded about 100, the official SANA news agency said.

26/05/2012 | World

Over 90 killed in Syria massacre, activists say

A Syrian artillery barrage killed more than 90 people, including dozens of children, in the worst violence since the start of a UN peace plan to staunch the flow of blood from Syria's uprising, activists said on Saturday.

10/05/2012 | World

Syria: Damascus blasts kill 40, wound 170

Two bomb explosions killed 40 people and wounded 170 in Damascus today, state media reported, incinerating people in their cars and damaging an intelligence complex involved in President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on a 14-month-old uprising.

11/05/2012 | World

Syria says thwarts attempted suicide car bombing

Syrian forces foiled an attempted suicide car bombing in the northern city of Aleppo today, state television said, a day after two bombs in the capital killed at least 55 people.

12/05/2012 | World

Clashes rage in Syria, opposition meets abroad

Rebels fought the army in northern Syria today, activists said, and Syrian dissidents abroad gathered to try to unify and project themselves as a credible alternative to President Bashar al-Assad.

03/05/2012 | World

Attack on Syria university protest kills four

Syrian security forces and students with knives attacked a protest against President Bashar al-Assad at Aleppo University early, killing at least four people and arresting 200, according to activists and Internet videos.

05/05/2012 | World

Explosions in two Syrian cities, kill at least three

An explosion killed several people in Aleppo and two blasts hit a Damascus highway today in further signs that rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad are shifting tactics towards homemade explosives.

08/05/2012 | World

Some Syria violence amounts to civil war, says Red Cross

Fighting has been so intense in parts of Syria that at times the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad has qualified as a localised civil war, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

27/04/2012 | World

Nine dead in suicide bomb near Damascus mosque

A suicide bomber killed nine people including security officers at a Damascus mosque today, Syria's interior ministry said, in another blow to a fraying UN-brokered truce between President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting for his downfall.

28/04/2012 | World

Gunmen hit Syrian army from sea, Moscow slams rebels

Gunmen in inflatable dinghies killed several security officials in an attack on a military unit on Syria's Mediterranean coast, state media said on Saturday, the first seaborne assault reported during the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

30/04/2012 | World

Deadly bombs in Syria's Idlib target security

Nine people including Syrian military personnel were killed and 100 wounded in bomb blasts near security service buildings in Idlib, state media said, as a bombing campaign intensified against government targets.

20/04/2012 | World

Roadside bomb kills 10 Syrian security personnel

Ten Syrian security personnel were killed today in a roadside bomb planted by "terrorists" in Sahm al Golan village in the southwest of the country, state television said.

20/04/2012 | World

France says EU to adopt new sanctions on Syria on Monday

The European Union will adopt new sanctions against Syria on Monday in light of continued bloodshed despite a week-old ceasefire, France's Foreign Ministry said today.

21/04/2012 | World

UN council authorizes up to 300 Syria truce monitors

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a Russia-European drafted resolution on Saturday that authorizes an initial deployment of up to 300 unarmed military observers to Syria for three months to help bolster a fragile week-old ceasefire.

14/04/2012 | World

UN council approves deployment of monitors to Syria

Russia and China joined the rest of the UN Security Council today to authorize the deployment of up to 30 unarmed observers to Syria to monitor the country's fragile ceasefire as called for by UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan.

15/04/2012 | World

Clashes in Syria as UN ceasefire monitors due

Syrian government forces shelled the city of Homs, resident opposition activists and a rights activist said, as a six-person advance party of UN observers is due to arrive in Syria to monitor a ceasefire meant to start four days ago.

19/04/2012 | World

Annan's team urges swift deployment of Syria observers

UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan's deputy told the Security Council that the swift deployment of more observers to Syria was needed despite continued risks and persistent violence, though some council members have expressed reluctance.

10/04/2012 | World

Syrian activists say at least 26 dead in Homs attacks

At least 26 people were killed in the Syrian army's bombardment of the Bayada and Khalidiya districts of the city of Homs, activists said.

12/04/2012 | World

Syrian gov't accuses 'terrorists' of roadside bomb attack amid ceasefire

Syria accused "terrorists" of planting a roadside bomb that blew up in Aleppo, killing one officer and wounding at least 24 cadets and officers in an attempt to sabotage a UN-backed ceasefire, state media said today.

13/04/2012 | World

Six die as violence mars Syria truce, protests muted

Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad shot dead five protesters after Friday prayers, activists reported, while the government said an army officer was killed as violence marred a ceasefire brokered by international peace envoy Kofi Annan.

02/04/2012 | World

Annan says Syria agrees to April 10 peace deadline

Syria has pledged to withdraw all military units from towns by April 10 to pave the way for a ceasefire with rebels two days later, th ough Western envoys were sceptical about Damascus' intent to halt its year-long assault on opponents.

05/04/2012 | World

UN says Syria violence worsening as deadline nears

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Syria's conflict is deepening and attacks on civilian areas show no sign of abating, despite assurances from Damascus that it has begun withdrawing troops under an international peace plan.

07/04/2012 | World

Violence dims Syria truce hopes, 53 killed

Syrian troops pounded opposition areas on Saturday, activists said, killing 53 people in an offensive that has sent thousands of refugees surging into Turkey before next week's UN-backed ceasefire aimed at staunching a year of bloodshed.

24/03/2012 | World

Homs pounded, Syrian tanks enter northern town

Syrian forces pounded the already battered city of Homs with tank and mortar fire and troops raided a rebellious northern town, leaving 10 civilians and four soldiers dead, opposition activists said.

27/03/2012 | World

Annan says Syria accepts peace plan, troops enter Lebanon

Syria has accepted a ceasefire and peace plan drawn up by UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan, his spokesman said today, even as Syrian troops thrust into Lebanon to battle rebels who had taken refuge there.

28/03/2012 | World

UN urges Syria's Assad to implement peace plan

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to quickly implement a peace plan that he has accepted which calls for the army to return to its barracks.

15/03/2012 | World

Syria marks anniversary of uprising

17/03/2012 | World

Twin bombings in Damascus kill at least 27, almost 100 hurt

Two explosions struck the heart of Damascus, killing at least 27 people in an attack on security installations that state television blamed on "terrorists" seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

23/03/2012 | World

EU slaps sanctions on Assad's family

The European Union slapped sanctions on the wife and mother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today, increasing pressure on his government to halt a bloody crackdown against an armed uprising.

10/03/2012 | World

Syria's Assad rebuffs Annan, troops attack Idlib

President Bashar al-Assad told UN/Arab League envoy Kofi Annanthat no political solution was possible in Syria while "terrorist" groups were destabilising the country.

12/03/2012 | World

UN's Ban urges Syria to act 'within few days' on peace proposals

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to act within the "next few days" on UN-Arab League proposals to bring peace to the country where pro-democracy protests deteriorated into bloody turmoil.

12/03/2012 | World

Clinton accuses al-Assad of 'cynically' launching assaults while meeting UN envoy

"How cynical that, even as Assad was receiving former (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Syrian Army was conducting a fresh assault on Idlib and continuing its aggression in Hama, Homs, and Rastan," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the UN Security Council.

06/03/2012 | World

Obama says Syria's Assad 'will fall', but US will not take unilateral action

President Barack Obama said today it was only a matter of time before Syria's President Bashar al-Assad left office, but added it was a mistake to think the US could take unilateral action there.

08/03/2012 | World

Annan urges end to Syria violence

Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, said he would urge President Bashar al-Assad and his foes to stop fighting and seek a political solution, drawing angry rebukes from dissidents.

09/03/2012 | World

Annan to meet Assad, seeking end to Syria violence

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan meets President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday to press for a political solution to Syria's year-long uprising and bloody crackdown in which thousands of people have been killed.

02/03/2012 | World

UN chief speaks of 'grisly reports' from Syria

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had received "grisly reports" that Syrian government forces were arbitrarily executing, imprisoning and torturing people in the battle-scarred city of Homs after rebel fighters had fled.

03/03/2012 | World

Syrian forces pound Homs anew, block aid convoy

Syrian forces bombarded parts of the shattered city of Homs anewy and blocked the first Red Cross aid meant for civilians stranded for weeks without food and fuel in the former rebel stronghold, activists and aid workers said.

05/03/2012 | World

US Senator McCain urges air strikes on Syria

The United States should lead an international effort to protect key population centers in Syria through air strikes on President Bashar al-Assad's forces, US Senator John McCain said.

28/02/2012 | World

UN: Syria civilian death toll 'well over 7,500'

Syrian forces have killed more than 7,500 civilians since a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began, a UN official said, and Hillary Clinton, the top US diplomat, suggested the Syrian leader may be a war criminal.

01/03/2012 | World

UK withdraws diplomats from Syria, closes embassy

Britain announced today that the UK is closing its embassy in Syria and withdrawing British diplomats. It has assured, however, Britain is not breaking diplomatic ties with Damascus.

02/03/2012 | World

France to shut Syria embassy, awaits UN mandate to act

President Nicolas Sarkozy said today that France would shut its Syrian embassy due to the repression of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad and was ready to step up its support of rebels if the United Nations can give a green light.

23/02/2012 | World

Kofi Annan appointed UN-Arab League envoy to Syria

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby appointed Ban's predecessor Kofi Annan as joint special envoy on the Syrian crisis, the United Nations announced.

24/02/2012 | World

'Friends of Syria' condemn Assad but see more killing

Western and Arab nations mounted the biggest diplomatic push in weeks to end Syria's crackdown on the opposition, but the talk in a marble-lined Tunisian hotel risked being overtaken by the increasingly vicious armed conflict on the ground.

25/02/2012 | World

As violence rages, Syria holds referendum

Syria will hold a referendum tomorrow on a new constitution, dismissed by the opposition as a charade amid an intensifying crackdown on the 11-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

20/02/2012 | World

Syrian forces fire on Damascus protests

Syrian forces opened fire with live ammunition on demonstrators in Damascus overnight, wounding at least four, activists said as unrest continued to spread in the capital.

22/02/2012 | World

Syria: US, French journalists killed

US correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Homs today when rockets fired by government forces hit the house they were staying in, opposition activists and witnesses said.

23/02/2012 | World

'Friends of Syria' to demand ceasefire, aid access

Western and Arab nations will demand that Syrian forces implement an immediate ceasefire to allow relief supplies to reach desperate civilians in bombarded cities such as Homs when they meet in Tunis tomorrow.

10/02/2012 | World

Explosions kill 25 in Syrian city of Aleppo

Two explosions outside security bases in Aleppo killed 25 soldiers and civilians today, Syrian television said, in the worst violence in Syria's commercial hub in an 11-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

11/02/2012 | World

Syria forces shell Homs, Russia to oppose UN resolution

Syrian forces bombarded districts of Homs city in a campaign to crush a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, whose ally Russia said it would not support an Arab peace plan circulating at the United Nations.

16/02/2012 | World

Ban Ki-moon sees possible crimes against humanity in Syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Syrian authorities to stop killing civilians and said potential crimes against humanity were taking place in the country.

07/02/2012 | World

France recalls Syria ambassador, vows more pressure

France recalled its ambassador from Syria today in protest at the violent government crackdown on opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, saying his "days were numbered" and vowing to press on with efforts to end the bloodshed.

07/02/2012 | World

Attacks in Syria's Homs resume after Russian peace foray

Armoured forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad thrust deeper into the central city of Homs, firing rockets and mortar rounds to subdue opposition districts, activists said, a day after Russia said Assad wants peace.

09/02/2012 | World

Syria forces bombard Homs, UN condemns 'appalling brutality'

Syrian forces bombarded opposition-held neighborhoods of the city of Homs with rocket and mortar fire today, activists said, as divided world powers struggled to find a way to end the violence.

03/02/2012 | World

Over 200 people killed in Syria as UN prepares to vote

More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said, as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.

04/02/2012 | World

Russia, China in double veto of UN Syria resolution

Russia and China joined forces in a double veto on Saturday to knock down a Western-Arab UN Security Council resolution backing an Arab League plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside.

06/02/2012 | World

US closes embassy in Damascus due to Syria violence

The United States announced it was closing its embassy in Syria due to the worsening security situation, further isolating Damascus over its bloody crackdown on anti-government protests.

24/01/2012 | World

Syria agrees to extend Arab monitoring mission

Syria agreed on to extend the mission of Arab League observers monitoring implementation of a peace plan aimed at ending 10 months of violence in which thousands of people have been killed.

25/01/2012 | World

Red Crescent official shot dead in Syria

The secretary-general of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was shot dead as he travelled outside the capital Damascus in a clearly marked vehicle, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

28/01/2012 | World

Arab League suspends Syria mission as violence rages

The Arab League said today it had suspended its monitoring mission in Syria because of "the critical deterioration of the situation" as state security forces battled rebels holding three suburbs just outside Damascus.

16/01/2012 | World

Twelve more killed in Syria despite Arab monitors

Twelve people were killed in Syria, where a peace plan monitored by Arab observers has failed to douse a 10-month-old struggle between President Bashar al-Assad and his foes.

21/01/2012 | World

Syria blasts kill 14, Arab monitors may stay

Bomb blasts killed 14 prisoners travelling in a security vehicle in northwest Syria, the state news agency said, and troops fought rebels elsewhere as the Arab League weighed whether to keep monitors in place.

23/01/2012 | World

EU expands sanctions against Syria

EU foreign ministers tightened sanctions against Syria, adding 22 people and eight entities to a list of banned people and groups, and said President Bashar al-Assad's violent crackdown against protesters was unacceptable.

11/01/2012 | World

Syria's Assad speaks to crowd in Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, fighting 10 months of pro-democracy protests, greeted thousands of rapturous supporters in a Damascus square today, only a day after breaking a six-month public silence.

11/01/2012 | World

French journalist killed in Syria

A French journalist was among several people killed in Syria's central city of Homs on today, becoming the first Western reporter to have died in 10 months of unrest in the country.

13/01/2012 | World

France urges inquiry into journalist's death in Syria

France called today for an independent investigation into the death of a French television journalist killed in a mortar attack in Homs this week while reporting on unrest in the central Syrian city.

28/12/2011 | World

Gunfire, protests in Syria's Hama

Live footage carried on al Jazeera television showed gunfire and black smoke rising above Syria's central city of Hama as dozens of men marched through the streets chanting "Where are the Arab monitors".

06/01/2012 | World

Suicide bomber kills several in Damascus, Syrian TV reports

A suicide bomber killed several people and wounded dozens in central Damascus today, Syrian state television said, showing footage of what appeared to be a damaged police bus.

07/01/2012 | World

Syria buries victims of contested bombing

Crowds waving Syrian flags and pictures of President Bashar al-Assad gathered today to bury 26 people who the authorities said were killed by a suicide bomber at a busy Damascus crossroads.

24/12/2011 | World

Angry Syrians bury Damascus bombing dead

Thousands of Syrians chanted "Death to America" today during funeral processions in Damascus for at least 44 people killed in twin suicide bombings that rocked the capital.

26/12/2011 | World

Syria tanks fire, 23 die in fighting as monitors awaited

At least 23 people were killed as Syrian tank forces battled opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in Homs, residents said, ahead of a planned visit by Arab League monitors to verify whether he is ending a violent crackdown on unrest.

27/12/2011 | World

Gunfire erupts as Syrians plead with Arab monitors

Syrian security forces fired tear gas at tens of thousands of protesters who were heading towards the centre of Syria's troubled city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

17/12/2011 | World

Arabs may take Syria peace plan to United Nations

Arab states may take their proposals for ending Syria's crackdown on protests to the UN Security Council next week unless Damascus agrees to implement the initiative, Qatar's foreign minister said.

23/12/2011 | World

At least 40 killed in Syrian blasts

Two car bomb attacks on Syrian security sites in Damascus killed at least 40 people and wounded 55 others, most of them civilian, the Lebanese news channel Al Manar said today.

23/12/2011 | World

US condemns Syria blasts, says must not hinder Arab League

The United States strongly condemned two blasts that hit Syria's capital, saying they should not be allowed to impede an Arab League plan aimed at ending a bloody nine-month crackdown against anti-government protests.

07/12/2011 | World

Syria's Assad in interview denies ordered crackdown

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied ordering a crackdown against anti-government protesters, telling ABC news that most people who died in the unrest were his troops and supporters.

08/12/2011 | World

Syria says pipeline blown up by rebel saboteurs

Syrian pipeline carrying crude from oilfields in the east of the country was blown up near the restive city of Homs on Thursday, according to anti-government activists and the official news agency SANA.

13/12/2011 | World

Syria death toll hits 5,000 as insurgency spreads

More than 5,000 people have been killed in nine months of unrest in Syria, the UN human rights chief said, as an insurgency began to overshadow what had initially been street protests against President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year rule.

27/11/2011 | World

Arab states approve cutting commercial ties with Syria

The Arab League approved economic sanctions on Syria to try to force Damascus to halt an eight-month crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad that Qatar said may prompt international intervention.

28/11/2011 | World

Syria sanctioned, condemned for 'brutality'

Syria faced growing economic sanctions and condemnation over "gross human rights violations," but President Bashar al-Assad showed no sign of buckling under international pressure to end his military crackdown on popular unrest.

05/12/2011 | World

Syria says it could sign Arab peace deal 'soon'

An increasingly isolated Syria imposed retaliatory sanctions on former friend Turkey, but said today it might agree "soon" to an Arab peace plan to avert penalties from Arab states over its eight month crackdown on protests.

12/11/2011 | World

Arab League suspends Syria, demands end to killing

The Arab League called on Syria's army to stop the killing of civilians and said it was suspending Syria from the regional body in a surprise move that turns up the heat on President Bashar al-Assad.

22/11/2011 | World

UN assembly panel condemns Syria over crackdown

The UN General Assembly's human rights committee condemned Syria for its eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in a vote backed by Western nations and most Arab states.

26/11/2011 | World

Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions

Arab officials will prepare plans for sanctions against Syria over its failure to let Arab League monitors oversee an initiative aimed at ending a violent crackdown on protesters seeking an end to President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

01/11/2011 | World

Syria says reaches deal with Arab League to endunrest

Syria said today it had reached a deal with an Arab League committee tasked with finding a way to end seven months of unrest and starting a dialogue between President Bashar al-Assad and his opponents.

05/11/2011 | World

Syrian tanks kill three in besieged Homs

Tank fire killed at least three civilians and wounded dozens in the besieged Syrian city of Homs, activists and residents said, casting doubt on whether an Arab League plan can end months of bloodshed triggered by a popular uprising.

08/11/2011 | World

UN: Syrian crackdown has killed over 3,500

More than 3,500 people have been killed in Syria's crackdown on protesters, the United Nations said today, as the military pressed its campaign to put down resistance against President Bashar al-Assad's rule in the city of Homs.

08/10/2011 | World

Syrian forces fire on Kurdish funeral, two dead

Syrian security forces killed at least two people when they opened fire on tens of thousands of mourners at the funeral of a Kurdish opposition figure, activists said.

24/10/2011 | World

US pulls ambassador out of Syria

The US State Department said today it pulled its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, out of the country because of threats to his personal safety.

28/10/2011 | World

Syrian security forces kill 40 protesters

Security forces killed at least 40 civilians on attacks on demonstrations calling for international protection for Syria's pro-democracy protesters, activists said.

28/09/2011 | World

Syrian tanks pound anti-Assad fighters for second day

Tanks pounded a Syrian town that has become a refuge for army deserters for a second day, residents said, in the first major battle with defecting soldiers since a six-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began.

30/09/2011 | World

UN demands access to Syria as tens of thousands protest

An UN-backed rights commission urged Syria to let it into the country to investigate reports of killings and torture, including of children, during six months of protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

07/10/2011 | World

Activists say Syrian forces killed eight protesters

Syrian forces killed at least eight people when they opened fire to disperse protests against President Bashar al-Assad after prayers in Damascus and Homs, activists said, and Russia's president urged him to undertake reforms or step down.

24/08/2011 | World

Syrian forces raid eastern towns, EU may embargo oil

Syrian forces killed one person and arrested dozens in raids on an eastern tribal region today as part of a crackdown on dissent which could lead to European Union oil sanctions on Damascus as early as next week.

27/08/2011 | World

Arab League tells Syria to end bloodshed

Arab foreign ministers told Syria today to work to end months of bloodshed "before it's too late", and decided to send Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby to Damascus to push for political and economic reforms.

02/09/2011 | World

EU agrees to ban crude from Syria

European Union governments agreed to ban imports of Syrian oil in a move to strengthen economic pressure on the President Bashar al-Assad and his government, EU diplomats and officials said.

19/08/2011 | World

Syrian forces kill 34 despite Assad pledge

Syrian forces killed dozens of protesters despite assurances by President Bashar al-Assad that a crackdown was over, and thousands of people rallied across the Arab nation with renewed vigour demanding political freedoms.

21/08/2011 | World

Assad warns action against Syria will backfire

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said unrest sweeping the country had become more militant but he was confident it could be controlled and warned that any military action against his nation would backfire.

23/08/2011 | World

US diplomat makes suprise visit to Syrian town

The US ambassador made a surprise trip to a southern Syrian town today, his second visit to an area rocked by protests against President Bashar al-Assad, a move likely to antagonize authorities in Damascus.

10/08/2011 | World

Turkey pressures Syria to end crackdown

Syrian tanks have begun leaving the central city of Hama and Turkey expects the Syrian government to start reforms within 15 days to ease popular unrest, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said today.

10/08/2011 | World

Syrian forces kill 15, US slaps sanctions

Syrian forces killed 15 civilians in the city of Homs on Wednesday, an activists' group said, despite international calls for President Bashar al-Assad to end a bloody crackdown on protests against his rule.

18/08/2011 | World

Obama to ask Syria’s Assad to step down

President Barack Obama will call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and slap new sanctions on his government in a toughening of the US stance toward the Syrian leader, a US official said.

06/08/2011 | World

UN to Assad: Military force on civilians must stop

The UN chief told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday that he was alarmed by the escalating violence in Syria and demanded that Assad stop deploying the military against civilians.

07/08/2011 | World

Syrian tanks pound city, Saudi king condemns violence

Syrian tanks pounded the city of Deir al-Zor in the country's Sunni tribal heartland for a second day and the escalating violence in the country prompted a strong condemnation of President Bashar al-Assad by the Saudi king.

09/08/2011 | World

Assad: Syria won't stop fight against 'terrorists'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad his forces would continue to pursue "terrorist groups" after Turkey pressed him to end a military assault aimed at crushing protests against his rule.

02/08/2011 | World

Assad forces fire on protesters across Syria

Syrian tanks shelled the city of Hama after Ramadan prayers, residents said, on the third day of an armoured assault to crush some of the largest street protests against President Bashar al-Assad in a five-month uprising.

04/08/2011 | World

Over 45 feared dead in Syrian tank assault

Syrian troops killed at least 45 civilians in a tank assault to occupy the center of the besieged city of Hama, an activist said, in a sharp escalation of a campaign to crush an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

05/08/2011 | World

Protest marches across Syria on first Ramadan Friday

Tens of thousands of people marched across Syria on the first Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, stepping up defiance of President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown on unrest as his tanks again shelled Hama and massed outside another restive city.

12/07/2011 | World

White House: Syria's Assad has lost legitimacy

The White House, echoing comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a day earlier, said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had lost legitimacy and was "not indispensable."

18/07/2011 | World

Qatar closes Syria embassy after assaults, diplomats report

Qatar has pulled out its ambassador from Syria and closed its embassy after attacks on the compound by militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, diplomats in the Syrian capital told reporters.

31/07/2011 | World

Dozens killed as Syria army storms Hama

Syrian tanks firing shells and machineguns stormed the city of Hama, killing at least 45 civilians in a move to crush demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, residents and activists said.

23/06/2011 | World

Syrian troops near Turkey border rises tensions

Syrian troops massed near the Turkish border, witnesses said, raising tensions with Ankara as President Bashar al-Assad uses increasing military force against a popular revolt.

24/06/2011 | World

Thousands protest against Syria's Assad

"Tell the world Bashar is without legitimacy," shouted several thousand protesters in the Damascus suburb of Irbin, an eyewitness said, the chants echoing over the phone. Syria has expelled most foreign journalists.

11/07/2011 | World

Diplomats say Assad loyalists attack US, French embassies

French embassy guards in Damascus fired live ammunition to disperse loyalists to President Bashar al-Assad who tried to break into the compound and are still surrounding it, diplomats in the Syrian capital said. A similar crowd broke into the US embassy but later left, they added.

20/06/2011 | World

Russia opposes UN vote on Syria, EU to expand sanctions

Russia emphasized its opposition to a UN resolution condemning Syria's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters and urged the opposition to sit down with President Bashar al-Assad's government for talks on reform.

21/06/2011 | World

Seven protesters killed in Syria during rallies

Syrian security forces shot dead seven people today during clashes in two cities between PresidentSyria's loyalists and protesters demanding his removal, a leading activist said.

22/06/2011 | World

UN Chief: Syria's Assad running low on credibility

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has pledged to reform the country and engage in a dialogue with pro-democracy protesters, is running low on credibility, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said today.

17/06/2011 | World

France, Germany for tougher Syria sanctions

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today that France and Germany had agreed to push for tougher punitive sanctions against Syria for its bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.

18/06/2011 | World

Syria forces storm border town near Turkey

Syrian troops and gunmen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad stormed a town near the Turkish border today, burning houses and arresting dozens, witnesses said, in a persistent military campaign to crush popular revolt.

20/06/2011 | World

Assad addresses Syrians, protesters take the streets

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledged today political reforms within months to address a wave of protests against his rule, but blamed saboteurs for the unrest and warned that no deal could be reached with gunmen. After Assad’s speech, protesters took to the streets across Syria as a reaction to the mandate’s statements.

15/06/2011 | World

UN accuses Syria of murder, mass arrests and torture

The UN human rights office said that Syrian security forces have repressed pro-democracy protests through executions, mass arrests and torture, citing widespread allegations it has received.

15/06/2011 | World

Syrians flee northern town as tanks close in

Thousands of Syrians have fled the historic town of Maarat al-Numaan to escape troops and tanks pushing into the north in a widening military campaign to crush protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

16/06/2011 | World

Turkey calls for immediate end to Syrian crackdown

Turkey called for Syria to immediately halt a violent crackdown on protesters and pass democratic reforms, in a meeting today between Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and a top Syrian envoy.

12/06/2011 | World

Syria uprising killings rise to 1,300 - activists

The main Syrian activist group organising protests said a violent crackdown has killed 1,300 civilians and called on President Bashar al-Assad to step down to transform the country into a democracy.

13/06/2011 | World

Syrian forces round up hundreds near northern town

Syrian troops rounded up hundreds of people in a sweep through villages near Jisr al-Shughour today, fleeing residents said, after President Bashar al-Assad's army retook the rebellious town.

14/06/2011 | World

Syrian Troops push towards northern town as thousands flee to Turkey

Syrian troops using tanks and helicopters pushed towards a northern town today after arresting hundreds of people in villages near Jisr al-Shughour, residents said, as more refugees fled to Turkey.

06/06/2011 | World

Israel sees Syrian hand in Golan clashes, death toll reaches 23

Israel accused Syria today of orchestrating lethal confrontations on the once-quiet ceasefire line between the two countries as a distraction from Damascus's bloody crackdown on an 11-week-old revolt. Syria said 23 people, including a woman and a child, were killed.

10/06/2011 | World

Helicopters open fire to disperse Syrian protesters

Syrian helicopter gunships fired machineguns to disperse pro-democracy protests, witnesses said, in the first reported use of air power to quell unrest in Syria's increasingly bloody three-month-old uprising.

11/06/2011 | World

Syrian forces attack town, refugees flee to Turkey

Syrian tanks stormed a border town overnight, residents said, in the latest assault to crush a three-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad that has driven thousands of refugee to flee to Turkey.

02/06/2011 | World

Syrian forces kill 13 in besieged town

Syrian forces killed at least 13 civilians in the central town of Rastan today, activists said, in the latest military assault to try and quell a revolt against the 11-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

03/06/2011 | World

Syria intensifies assault on anti-Assad protesters

Syrian security forces intensified their assault on protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad to quit, killing at least 34 demonstrators in the latest crackdown in the city of Hama, activists said.

04/06/2011 | World

Syria forces kill 70 in anti-Assad protests

Syrian forces killed at least 70 protesters yesterday, activists said, in one of the bloodiest days since the start of an 11-week revolt against the authoritarian rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

31/05/2011 | World

Clinton, citing Syrian boy, sees 'total collapse'

The reported torture of a Syrian boy shows the "total collapse" of Syrian authorities' willingness to listen to anti-government protesters, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said

31/05/2011 | World

UNICEF worries over “Horrific acts” against children in Syria

The UN children's agency UNICEF called on Syria to investigate reports of "horrific acts" of violence against children detained during the current wave of unrest in the Arab country.

01/06/2011 | World

Syrian forces shell town kill 41, lawyer says

Syrian forces killed 41 civilians in an effort to crush pro-democracy protests, a human rights lawyer said, as opposition leaders met in Turkey to plot the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

21/05/2011 | World

Eleven killed as Syrian funeral becomes protest

Syrian security forces shot dead 11 mourners in the central city of Homs on Saturday at a mass funeral for people killed in the latest crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad, a rights campaigner said.

24/05/2011 | World

At least 1,100 civilians killed in Syria uprising: group

Syrian troops and security forces have killed at least 1,100 civilians in their two-month campaign to crush pro-democracy demonstrations, Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah said.

30/05/2011 | World

Three killed as army enters central Syrian town

At least three civilians were killed when security forces entered the town of Talbiseh in central Syria to crush dissent against President Bashar al-Assad, a rights group said.

17/05/2011 | World

Tanks storm south Syria city

The West warned of more pressure on Syria if a crackdown against pro-democracy protests continues, hours after tanks stormed a city in the south, cradle of an uprising against Baathist rule. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that both the European Union and the United States were planning more steps.

19/05/2011 | World

Obama steps up pressure on Syria's Assad

US President Barack Obama called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to lead a transition to democracy or step aside, but stopped short of demanding his departure over a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

20/05/2011 | World

Syrian forces shoot dead 30 demonstrators

Syrian security forces shot dead at least 30 demonstrators during protests that broke out across the country in defiance of a military crackdown which has killed hundreds of people, a rights activist said.

12/05/2011 | World

Syria's Assad reported to have ordered no shooting

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ordered troops not to fire on pro-democracy demonstrators, a rights campaigner said, ahead of Friday prayers that have become a rallying point for protesters in an eight-week uprising.

13/05/2011 | World

Syrian forces kill 6 protesters

Thousands of Syrians demonstrated after weekly prayers, activists and witnesses said, keeping up a two-month-old campaign of calls to end autocratic rule, despite a military crackdown that has killed hundreds.

14/05/2011 | World

Three killed in Syrian town, hundreds flee to Lebanon

Three people were killed after Syrian troops and gunmen entered the town of Tel Kelakh, a rights campaigner said, and hundreds fled what they said was fierce fighting into neighboring Lebanon.

09/05/2011 | World

Assad tightens grip on Syria's restive 3rd city

Government forces backed by snipers on rooftops tightened their grip on Syria's third city, rights groups said, after President Bashar al-Assad sent in tanks in a sharpening crackdown on protests against his rule.

10/05/2011 | World

Syrian forces relax grip on town of Banias

Syrian security forces have released 300 people detained in the coastal city of Banias and restored basic services, a rights group said, within hours of the government saying the threat from protests was receding.

11/05/2011 | World

Ban Ki-moon urges Syria to halt crackdown on unrest

UN Secretary-General urged Syria to halt its military crackdown on protesters and heed calls for reform "before it is too late". Ban, who said he has spoken with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad several times said some promises of change made had fallen short.

04/05/2011 | World

Assad sends more soldiers to crush Syria uprising

Syrian army units backed by tanks have tightened the siege of two defiant urban centers, in a sign that President Bashar al-Assad is widening the use of the military to crush demonstrations against his autocratic rule

06/05/2011 | World

New EU sanctions on Syria as 23 protesters killed

Syrian security forces killed 23 protesters demanding an end to President Bashar al-Assad's rule, rights campaigners said, and the European Union agreed to impose sanctions in response to his crackdown.

07/05/2011 | World

Syria army attacks Banias, raising sectarian tension

Syrian forces shot dead six civilians in an attack on Sunni districts in the mixed city of Banias, rights campaigners said, raising sectarian tension in a country gripped by pro-democracy protests.

30/04/2011 | World

Syria arrests women, opposition figures-rights groups

Syrian security forces arrested two veteran opposition figures and a group of female protesters, adding to thousands of political prisoners in the country, rights groups said.

01/05/2011 | World

Syria arrests hundreds, shells Deraa into submission

Security forces arrested hundreds of pro-democracy sympathisers in cities across Syria after taking control of the city of Deraa, cradle of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's autocratic rule.

03/05/2011 | World

Syria charges hundreds with 'degrading the state'

Hundreds of Syrians have been charged with "degrading the prestige of the state," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, in President Bashar al-Assad's drive to crush protests against his autocratic rule.

26/04/2011 | World

European govermentts condemn Syria, security forces deploy

Security forces deployed in a suburb of the Syrian capital and in the city of Banias, witnesses said, even as President Bashar al-Assad drew international criticism for sending in tanks to crush a revolt.

27/04/2011 | World

European push for UN condemnation of Syria fails

A European push for the UN Security Council to condemn Syria's violent crackdown on anti-government protesters was blocked by resistance from Russia, China and Lebanon, envoys said.

29/04/2011 | World

Syrian forces kill 62, US toughens sanctions

Security forces killed more than 60 people across Syria during demonstrations demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States imposed new sanctions on key figures.

23/04/2011 | World

Syrian forces raid homes, Assad opposition mounts

Secret police raided homes near Damascus overnight, rights campaigners said, as popular opposition to authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad mounted following the bloodiest attacks on pro-democracy protesters.

25/04/2011 | World

Some 500 arrested in Syria crackdown: rights group

Security forces have arrested some 500 pro-democracy sympathizers across Syria after the government sent in tanks to try to crush protests in the city of Deraa, the Syrian rights organization Sawasiah said.

26/04/2011 | World

At least 400 civilians killed in Syria revolt

Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 400 civilians in their campaign to crush the country's month-long peaceful pro-democracy revolution, the Syrian human rights organisation Sawasiah said.

19/04/2011 | World

Syria lifts emergency but police arrest leftist

The Syrian authorities' arrest of a leftist opposition figure overnight suggests that a bill passed by the government to end emergency rule after 48 years will not halt repression, rights campaigners said.

20/04/2011 | World

Forces deploy in Syria's Homs city, residents defiant

Plain clothes security forces toting Ak-47s deployed in Homs overnight, a witness said, as the central Syrian city defied a crackdown following the killing of 21 pro-democracy protesters this week.

21/04/2011 | World

Syria's President ends state of emergency

President Bashar al-Assad ended Syria's state of emergency, in effect for nearly 50 years, in a bid to defuse pro-democracy protests against his authoritarian rule that have gripped the country for over a month.

10/04/2011 | World

Assad loyalists kill three in coastal Syrian city: activist

Irregular forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed three people in Banias, a local human rights activist said, after pro-democracy protests flared in the mostly Sunni city on the Mediterranean.

17/04/2011 | World

Assad pledge fails to quell Syria anger; troops fire

Syrian security forces opened fire on protesters at a funeral, witnesses said, and an announcement that President Bashar al-Assad would lift 48-years of emergency rule failed to quell fury on the streets.

18/04/2011 | World

Syrian forces fire at protesters, unrest intensifies

Syrian forces fired shots at hundreds of protesters who had gathered overnight in Homs city in defiance of warning by the authorities to halt what they called an insurrection, a rights campaigner said.

25/03/2011 | World

Protests and shooting in Syria as unrest spreads

President Bashar al-Assad faced the deepest crisis of his 11 years in power, with one city in the grip of anti-government protesters and unrest spreading to other parts of Syria.

26/03/2011 | World

Six dead in port city as Syrian crisis grows

Syrian security forces have killed six people in two days of anti-government protests in the key port city of Latakia, reformist activists living abroad told reporters.

29/03/2011 | World

State TV: Syrian government resigns

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accepted the resignation of the government, Syrian state television said. He was expected to address the nation in a speech which may include a decision to abolish emergency laws

01/10/2011 | Latin America

Hugo Chávez sends solidarity to Gaddafi, Syria

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he was praying for Libya's deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi and also sent a message of solidarity to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against "Yankee" aggression. 

05/03/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela to ship more fuel to Syria as crackdown spreads

Venezuela is readying a third shipment of diesel to the government of Syria even as President Bashar al-Assad intensifies a crackdown against protesters, said a Venezuelan lawmaker on Monday.

16/04/2011 | Sports

Syria's Assad vows to lift emergency law by next week

President Bashar al-Assad emergency law in place for almost 50 years in Syria would be lifted by next week but ignored popular demands to curb the security apparatus and dismantle its authoritarian system.

21/05/2013 | World

In the hills of Bashar al-Assad’s stronghold

By Alia Malek

Above the Syrian coastal town of Tartous, groups of Alawite men and boys were amassing at different landings along a road that winds higher and higher, away from the Mediterranean and into the hills. We saw them assembling as we travelled the same path, taking advantage of a day off to get out of the city.

28/05/2013 | World

Iraqi Shiites fighting for Assad regime

By Abigail Hauslohner- The Washington Post

The Iraqi fighters in the video shoulder assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades as they walk down a highway lined with cypress trees.

28/05/2013 | World

EU ends arms embargo on Syrian rebels

14/05/2013 | World

US, UK pledge support for Syrian opposition

US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron found common ground yesterday in the White House, pledging their countries’ support for the moderate opposition in Syria.

15/05/2013 | World

Syria death toll close to 120,000, report

At least 94,000 people have been killed during Syria’s two-year conflict, but the death toll is likely to be as high as 120,000, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday. The group said that at least 41,000 of those confirmed killed were Alawites, the sect of President Bashar al-Assad.

19/05/2013 | World

Syria's Assad insists he will not step down

Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview that he won’t step down and that the US has no right to interfere in his country’s politics.

28/04/2011 | In Depth - The Royal Wedding

UK withdraws Syria's royal wedding invitation

Britain has withdrawn the royal wedding invitation to Syria, with the support of Buckingham Palace, after a violent crackdown against pro-democracy supporters, a Foreign Office spokesman said.