Damascus (AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - Syrian
President Bashar al - Assad, last
night sent his
response to the proposals of Kofi Annan, UN
envoy, on an immediate ceasefire and
the opening of a humanitarian
corridor to help the population,
according to internal United Nations sources. The
content of the message is
still secret and is under
the scrutiny of experts. Yesterday,
the Syrian president announced the
first parliamentary elections for May 7 after
the constitutional referendum last February
26.
Meanwhile, the
army has intensified its offensive against
the province of Idlib, on the border with Turkey,
where 50 people were killed yesterday. Bombings and clashes between Free Syrian Army and the military were
also reported in Homs and other cities in the provinces of Aleppo and Damascus. In total in one
day there were more than 100 deaths among insurgents, civilians and military.
According to the UN, in over a year of violence 8 thousand people have
died, while 230 thousand
have fled the country. Human Rights Watch
researchers have accused the regime of having mined the borders with Turkey and Lebanon
to prevent the rebels leaving the country.