Syria’s army seizes back restive town after mutiny
The main Syrian activist group organising protests said on Sunday 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.
On Sunday, Syrian troops backed by helicopters and tanks regained control Sunday of a town where police and soldiers joined forces with the protesters they were ordered to shoot - a decisive assault from a government prepared for an all-out battle to keep power.
Troops led by the president’s brother shelled Jisr Al Shughour as the gunships hovered overhead, paving the way for scores of tanks and armoured personnel carriers to roll in from two directions. By early afternoon, the sounds of battle faded. The army was in control.