Syrian rebels take town near Turkey: activists

uPDATED 3:15 P.M. est

BEIRUT Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of siege and heavy fighting, activists said.

The takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes that include the capture of wide areas along the border with Turkey. Most of those areas have been in northern Aleppo province, where anti-government forces have captured at least three large military bases.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels captured Harem in the early hours of Tuesday. Mohammed Kanaan, an Idlib-based activist, said the last post to be taken was the historic citadel, which overlooked the town. The army had turned the citadel into a military post.

"Harem is fully liberated now," Kanaan said via Skype. He added that as the rebels pounded army posts and checkpoints in Harem, the troops withdrew to the citadel that later fell in the hands of rebels.

• Pope decries slaughter of "defenseless" in Syria
• No rest in Syria's civil war
• No hint of progress after envoy, Syria's Assad meet

Rami-Abdul-Rahman, who heads to Observatory, said nearly 30 soldiers and pro-government gunmen surrendered late Monday. He added that rebels set free all gunmen at the age of 16 or less and referred others to local tribunals.

"Harem was very important because it is one of the towns that was loyal to the regime," Abdul-Rahman said by telephone about the town that is nearly a mile from the Turkish border.

International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi pursued mediation efforts in Damascus on Tuesday, but there were no signs he had made any headway as he sought to end the violence tearing Syria apart, the Reuters news agency reports.

In his traditional Christmas address, Pope Benedict XVI decried the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria, where anti-regime activists estimate more than 40,000 have died in fighting since the uprising began in March 2011.

The pope encouraged Arab spring nations, where long-serving dictators were forced to step down.

In Aleppo province, which neighbors Idlib, local activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels attacked a military base in the town of Mannagh near the border with Turkey. He said it is one of four air bases in the province.

Regime forces have been using helicopters to carry supplies to besieged areas and to attack rebel positions.

The regime has had increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province after rebels captured in October the strategic town Maaret al-Numan. The town is on the highway that links Damascus with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and commercial center and a major battleground in the civil war since July.

"Airplanes and helicopters are the only way to send supplies since the Free Syrian Army controls the land," Saeed said. He added that rebels are also laying a siege to Aleppo's international airport, known as Nairab, and threatening to shoot down military or civilians planes using it.

In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, opposition gunmen ambushed the head of military intelligence in the area and seriously wounded him. He later died of his wounds, the Observatory said.

[BalkanBruno]

As usual dustin96v you dont seem to mind the fact that the Free Syrian Army arent anywhere near "Free Syrian" they are Islamists.

This is what the Real FSA brand is.

1. Al Nusrah Front
2. Al Ansar Brigades
3. Al Abbas Brigades
4. La Ilaha Ila Allah [There is No God but Allah] Battalion
5. Al Hamza Brigade
6. Al Sa'qah Brigade
7. Jund al Aziz Brigade
8. Izzuddin al Qassam Brigade
9. Abu al Qassam Brigade
10. Brigade of the Da'wa [Preaching] and Jihad Front
11. The Syrian mujahideen.

And lets forget the Commander who was killed in Aleppo his bridge is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

All these 11 Free Syrian Army Rebel according to our media are Freedom Fighters, they are all Islamist based.

With Muslim Brotherhood links and funding from Saudi Arabia.


"The takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes that include the capture of wide areas along the border with Turkey. Most of those areas have been in northern Aleppo province, where anti-government forces have captured at least three large military bases."

Regrading the so called recent rebel successes that include the capture of wide areas along the border with Turkey. We still haven't seen any actual confirmations regrading i.

Regrading Harem.

Harem besieged since august, and had resisted FSA nearly 5 months. Remarkable bravery for an army the western media says is demoralized!


These are the same terrorists that killed the four Americans in Libya and as it seems we haven't learned anything from History nor the past.

No doubt tomorrow our sorry excuse of an media no doubt will be cheering them the little victory by the Al Nusrah Front!

Speaking of which CBS why arent you reporting the Great Success by the Libyan rebels? hush hush hush are we now?

You media disgust me. But dont you worry, you will reap what you sow.

[no1netfan573]

I hope these Syrian rebels kick Assads butt and his army out of Syria.Just because Russia says no one will win when it is over does not mean we should believe anything that comes from Russia.If Russia is so good why does the US get refugees from there by the thousands every year.Because of my job i have to travel acrossed the US every year.When i call the hall for new men i ask for Russians.They bust butt to get the job done so i can move to another job.(50% of the white people i get on the job are doing pain killers and move like a snail.Merry Christmas everybody

[BalkanBruno]

no1netfan573 are you aware your basically the Islamist fighters terrorists who have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood?

"I hope these Syrian rebels kick Assads butt and his army out of Syria."

If the Islamist fighters terrorists that we are supporting do win which i highly doubt they will, Christians and other minorities will not have a future in the New Islamist Liberated Syria.

Christians will not have the protection as they did with Assad and those before during the 1930s 1920s

These Islamist Rebel fighters that we are protecting and supporting are heavily Saudi Arabian supported.

[usunus]

The so-called "activists" that manufacture these reports from Syria are none other than the rebels themselves or their mouthpieces.And the Western mews agencies dutifully spread the propagannda all over the world.Nice arrangement that would have made Herr Goebbels proud.