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    October 26, 2011

11 Killed in Syrian Violence Ahead of Arab League Meeting

   VOA News
   Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (File)
   Photo: Reuters
   Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (File)

   At least 11 people died in Syrian violence on Wednesday, ahead of a
   meeting of an Arab League delegation.
   The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says nine soldiers were killed
   in the central Hama region after a rocket hit their vehicle. The group
   says army deserters who now back the opposition may have fired the
   rocket.
   Opposition activists say security forces killed at least two civilians
   in separate incidents elsewhere in the country on Wednesday.
   The deaths came ahead of an Arab League committee meeting with
   President Bashar al-Assad. The delegation plans to discuss the
   possibility of starting dialogue between the Syrian government and
   opposition leaders.
   Human Rights Watch wants the Arab League to demand that Syria allow
   independent civilian monitors to observe the actions of its security
   forces.
   The meeting comes about a week-and-a-half after the 22-nation Arab
   League held an emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss Syria's unrest.
   Foreign ministers agreed to try to start talks between Assad and the
   newly formed opposition Syrian National Council.
   Thousands of Assad's supporters rallied Wednesday in Damascus. State
   media reports have shown crowds of loyalists waving huge Syrian flags
   and posters of Assad.
   Opposition leaders have called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday.
   The Reuters news agency says most shops are closed in the flashpoint
   city of Homs and several other towns appear to be observing the strike.
   Assad has been facing growing international condemnation for his
   crackdown on dissent. The United Nations says the death toll from seven
   months of anti-government protests in the country has topped 3,000.
   Activists say at least seven security force members were killed in
   violence on Tuesday. They say the security agents died after their
   convoy was attacked by suspected army deserters in the northwestern
   Idlib province.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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References

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