Damascus, attack on a pro-government television station, three dead
Damascus (AsiaNews
/ Agencies) -
A group of armed
men this morning stormed the headquarters of Ikhbariya
TV, a private television station close
to President Bashar Al-Assad, in Druousha located about 20 km
south of Damascus. Three people were killed in the attack. An employee of the television station said that the men broke into the complex,
taking guards hostage
and later blew up two buildings. According
to state news agency SANA, the
attack was carried out by unidentified
terrorists, but so far no group has claimed responsibility. For days clashes between
rebels and troops of the elite
of the Syrian regime have been taking
place on the outskirts of Damascus,
leaving 40 dead over the weekend,
116 across the country.
The recent tension between Ankara and
Damascus after the shooting down of a
Turkish jet last June
22 along the coast of Syria, threatens to worsen the conflict between Sunni
insurgents and the regime. Yesterday,
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced
new rules of
engagement for armed forces
along a 600 km border with Syria. He warned
the former Syrian ally that "from now on, Turkey will respond with the weapons to" any violation
of the border. "However, the
Turkish Premier in agreement with the other members of NATO has ruled out the
hypothesis of an armed intervention in Syria.
In response to Erdogan's
statements, Bashar al-Assad said "Syria
is in a state of war". Yesterday, he reformed the government cabinet, ordering that all efforts must be
used to combat and defeat the
rebels.
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20/03/2018 09:42
