Syrian ground forces storm rebel stronghold of Idlib
AFP – 8 hrs ago
Syrian troops stormed the rebel stronghold of Idlib on Saturday after shelling the city for several days, confirming fears of an assault after another rebel redoubt was overrun last week, monitors said.
The attack came as peace envoy Kofi Annan was in Damascus seeking an end to a year-long crackdown on dissent that has cost an estimated more than 8,500 lives, holding "positive" talks with President Bashar al-Assad.
"Troop carriers entered the city of Idlib as clashes raged" between the army and rebels, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP in Beirut.
The army heavily shelled Idlib before sweeping into the city, where 15 civilians were killed, Abdel Rahman said, adding that dozens were wounded and 150 arrested by regime forces.
More: AFP/Yahoo
