[On April 12, Syrian security forces raided the coastal town of Baida
and killed at least four people and arrested another 200, Middle East Newsline reported. Witnesses said
armored personnel carriers
and combat vehicles opened fire toward people and homes.]
The senior officers were identified as Lt. Col. Wahib Issa and Lt. Col.
Yasser Qashour. No information was provided on the role of the two officers
in the Assad crackdown on the protest movement.
So far, at least 20 Syrian officers and soldiers have been killed and
dozens others injured amid the revolt. Many of the officers were said to
have been attacked by gangs of gunmen as they moved from one city to
another.
"Maj. Mazin Fittimi reported that he was sitting in the front section of
the convoy when armed men ambushed and sprayed bullets and grenades from
nearby buildings and water sewage canals at Al Qawaz Bridge," the statement
said.
Officials said the ambushes of Syrian security force and military
personnel took place in Banias, Damascus, Dera, Homs and Latakia. They said
at least four brigadier generals were injured in the attacks. They were
identified as Hassan Fares Hamoud, Hisham Eddin Barazi, Yusef Mohammed Yusef
and Mansour Hussein Mihio.
Most of the injured were identified as police officers deployed to quell
demonstrations against Assad. So far, 200 civilians have been
killed by live fire by Syrian security forces.