Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Sunni rebels have renewed their offensive against the
regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“They [Assad forces] are not trained for urban warfare,” Rami Abdul
Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.

The Syrian Observatory reported that rebel operations were concentrated in the northern province of Idlib near the Turkish border. The London-based group, regarded as authoritative, reported rebel attacks on up to six Syrian Army checkpoints in a provincial village.

The rebels also attacked regime positions in the southern city of Dera
near the border with Jordan. Syrian Observatory said between 80 and 100 soldiers have already been killed since June 3.

The rebels said they have intensified attacks on Assad forces in June in wake of an opposition deadline for the regime to honor a United
Nations-arranged ceasefire. They said the UN monitoring force in Syria has proven ineffective and instead should help protect civilians.

Syrian Observatory said the rebels also destroyed several Russian-origin
main battle tanks deployed by the Syrian Army. The group cited rebel
anti-tank operations around Damascus.

The Assad regime has acknowledged heavy casualties. On June 4, the
official Syrian news agency, Sana, said 30 security officers were buried.

The rebels said the killing of 108 civilians in Houla in late May,
blamed on Assad, was fueling the latest offensive. They said Houla was also
galvanizing the Sunni community in neighboring Lebanon to increase support
for the revolt against Assad and attack his supporters in Lebanon.

  Houla, rebel stronghold of Idlib, Syria’s Russian-origin main battle tanks, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian rebels intensify attacks on Assad forces near Turkey, UN monitoring force