Syria fighting rages ahead of deadline
Fighting raged in Syria yesterday a day after 77 people were killed and envoy Kofi Annan spoke of "alarming" casualties despite the regime accepting an April 10 deadline to withdraw forces from protest hubs.
Tens of thousands of Syrian protesters took to the streets yesterday under fire from regime forces, who pressed their campaign to pound rebel cities into submission, activists said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 29 people were killed, including 11 in the flashpoint central province of Homs and the same number in the Aleppo region of northern Syria.
Meanwhile, Turkey urged the United Nations and international community to reinforce efforts to aid Syrian refugees after a record 2,800 people poured across the border in less than two days, taking the number in Turkey to 23,835.
On Thursday, the UN Security Council, including Russia and China, joined Annan in stepping up pressure on Assad to implement a six-point peace plan even as doubts grew over the Syrian leader's intentions.
Damascus has agreed to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from cities by next Tuesday. Annan said that if this is carried out he would call for a complete halt to hostilities by "0600 hours Damascus time on Thursday April 12."
"I urge the government and the opposition commanders to issue clear instructions so that the message reaches across the country down to the fighter and soldier at the local level," Annan told the UN General Assembly.
Western governments say they have strong doubts Assad will comply, and Annan said he had no confirmation of a Syrian claim that troops had begun a partial withdrawal from the protest cities of Idlib, Zabadani and Daraa.
"Clearly the violence is still continuing. Alarming levels of casualties and other abuses continue to be reported daily," he added.
The Local Coordination Committees group also reported overnight anti-regime demonstrations in Damascus's Mazzeh and Barzeh districts, in Aleppo and in Idlib, Raqqa and Hama provinces.
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