New Clash In Syria Leaves 11 Syrian Soldiers Dead, 9 More Defect To Rebel Side

Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Amude, January 6, 2012.—Reuters

There's a lot of disinformation coming out of Syria on both sides and this one may be a little skewed as well but the report from DAWN details a clash this morning in Syria that left 11 Syrian troops killed along with a number wounded and nine more of the troops actually defected over to the rebel side.

From the article:

Heavy clashes broke out before dawn on Sunday between the Syrian army and deserters, leaving 11 of its soldiers dead, human rights activists said.

Another 20 soldiers were wounded in the fighting in Daraa province, south of the capital, while nine soldiers defected to join the rebel troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In addition to the deadly clashes in the village of Basr al-Harir, the Britain-based watchdog also reported heavy machinegun exchanges between the army and deserters in the Daraa town of Dael. There was no immediate word on any casualties.

It's hard to gauge just how the tide is turning in Syria - we certainly have seen where some of the top commanders in the Syrian military have defected and there seems to be enough of these clashes where the Syrian army comes out on the short end - I think Assad is in deeper shit than anyone knows at the moment and if the rebels were supplied with some more significant weapons, this thing could blow up completely.

Eleven Syria troops killed in clashes with deserters: activists


NICOSIA: Heavy clashes broke out before dawn on Sunday between the Syrian army and deserters, leaving 11 of its soldiers dead, human rights activists said.

Another 20 soldiers were wounded in the fighting in Daraa province, south of the capital, while nine soldiers defected to join the rebel troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In addition to the deadly clashes in the village of Basr al-Harir, the Britain-based watchdog also reported heavy machinegun exchanges between the army and deserters in the Daraa town of Dael. There was no immediate word on any casualties.

Cradle of the protests against President Bashar al-Assad that erupted in March, Daraa has been one of the provinces hardest hit by the deadly crackdown unleashed by his regime.

The latest deaths came as Arab League foreign ministers prepared to meet in Cairo to review the record of a widely criticised observer mission to Syria, in the face of growing calls for the bloc to cede to the United Nations the lead role in trying to end the bloodshed.