Saturday, September 22, 2012

Syria fires into Jordan, sparking fierce clashes

Syria moves its Golan Heights brigade to the Jordanian border.
(Times of Israel) The armed forces of Syria and Jordan clashed Saturday after Syria fired into Jordanian territory, where thousands of refugees have fled from an 18-month-long civil war between the Bashar Assad regime and opposition fighters.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the Syrian army has moved its Unit 61 brigade — whose main function is to block any possible attack from Israel — from the Golan Heights to the Jordanian border.

In recent months, attacks by the Syrian military on the border region with Jordan have intensified, as part of an effort to stem the flow of refugees into the neighboring kingdom.

Syrian activists said rebels and government troops fought a fierce battle in the area, that lasted for several hours, overnight Friday.

The activists said the fighting in and around the Syrian border town of Nasib continued until dawn Saturday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that there were casualties on both sides, without giving figures.

Mohammed Abu Houran, an activist in the area, says the rebels first attacked an air defense base near Nasib, and as they were withdrawing they clashed with Syrian border guards.

Nasib is in the southern province of Daraa, where the uprising against Assad’s regime began in March last year.

Syrian rebel forces on Friday night attacked a Lebanese Army base near the Syrian border, Israel Radio reported. The Lebanese Army stated that there were no casualties in the incident near Arsal. The army mobilized forces to the area and pursued the assailants who fled into Lebanon.

More...