Syria military offensive kills many in Qusayr
Reports say deadly attack on strategic town is aided by Hezbollah fighters following denial by Assad of foreign help.
Last Modified: 19 May 2013 13:50
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The Syrian army has pounded the rebel-held central town of Qusayr, killing at least 40 people in an apparent preparation for a ground assault, watchdog and activists said.
The attack on Sunday came a day after a rare interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was released, in which he said that his government was not using "fighters from outside of Syria, of other nationalities, and needs no support from any Arab or foreign state".
But in the latest development in Qusayr, which is in Homs province, reports said fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement assisted the military.
Al Jazeera's Nisreen el-Shamayleh, reporting from Amman, said: "We're hearing that the military is getting help from Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon, which is a staunch ally of Damascus."
"The rebels are calling for more help and weapons to try to face the Syrian government [forces]. It seems like a very heavy offensive, that could turn into a ground assault, according to activists," she said.
If the military overpowers the rebels in Qusayr, "it's a very strategic win, because Homs is close to Damascus," she said.
The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a network of activists on the ground, also reported an intense bombardment of Qusayr, which the Syrian regime has been trying to recapture.
"A rain of shells on the city, at the same time as artillery fire and mortar fire from dawn. Homes were destroyed and burnt down," the group said.
The Qusayr district of Homs province has been the focus of fierce fighting between government forces and the rebels in recent weeks.
The area is considered strategically important because it connects the capital to the Mediterranean coast.
Assad interview
Assad spoke to the Argentine newspaper Clarin and the Argentine state news agency Telam in a frank and lengthy interview in Damascus, released on Saturday, in which he insisted that he will not resign before elections in 2014.
He also denied that his government has used chemical weapons against the civilian population, and blamed foreign intervention for the crisis.
His comments come amid a rare joint push by the US and Russia to convene the peace conference in Geneva, which he cautiously welcomed.
"We have received the Russian-US approach well and we hope that there will be an international conference to help Syrians overcome the crisis," Clarin quoted Assad as saying.
"We must be clear ... there is confusion in the world over a political solution and terrorism.
"They think that a political conference will stop terrorism on the ground. This is unrealistic."
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
