Renewed Crackdowns in Syria

Tanks and helicopters ambushed the central Syrian town of Rastan on Tuesday in renewed crackdowns on peaceful protests led by army defectors against the Assad regime.

Meanwhile, demonstrators in Homs claimed opposition forces attacked a tank with a rocket grenade in the Bayada district, inhabited by anti-Assad desert tribes.

In Dera, witnesses have seen young men being apprehended and put in a white van, while protesters chant in support of Deir al-Zour and Hama demanding the release of prisoners.

The defectors remain headstrong and announced the establishment of an opposing military unit in the same area.

Homs and the surrounding region, along with the neighboring border town of Idlib, have transformed into protest hubs, yet loyalist forces have remained steadfast and soldiers have been ordered to crush demonstrators.

On Monday, amateur video footage uploaded to a social media site – which Al Arabiya cannot verify – showed masses gathering in Rastan protesting against the Syrian president.

On the same day, protesters in Homs held a night-time demonstration in solidarity with Rastan. One protester was seen holding a sign referring to Zainab al-Hosni, an 18-year-old, who, according to Amnesty International, is believed to be the first female to die in Syrian custody in the recent unrest.

United Nations officials say that 2,700 people have died, 100 of them children, since the unrest began six months ago.