SYRIAN rebels pushed government troops from most of the northern city
of Raqqa Monday, and then scores of cheering protesters tore up a poster of
President Bashar Assad and toppled a bronze statue of his late father and
predecessor, activists said. If the rebels seize control of Raqqa, it would be
the first time an entire city falls into the hands of anti-Assad fighters.
Rebels hold parts of major Syrian cities such as Aleppo in the north, suburbs of
Damascus, the central city of Homs and Deir el-Zour in the east. They also
control large areas in the countryside, particularly in the north. The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels are
now in control of “large parts” of Raqqa, a city on the Euphrates river that
flows through Syria into Iraq. A top police officer was killed and intelligence
officers were detained, the group said. Activists declared Raqqa “liberated” on
opposition social media websites Monday. A photo posted on several pro-rebel
Facebook pages showed people tearing down a huge poster of Assad and hitting it
with their shœs. The activists said the picture was taken inside the feared
Air
Force Intelligence headquarters in Raqqa. An amateur video showed dozens
of people in a large square jumping on the bronze statue of the late Hafez Assad
after it was toppled. The video appeared consistent with AP reporting. Rebels
have been advancing in Raqqa province for weeks, capturing the
country’s largest dam. On Sunday, anti-Assad fighters stormed the Raqqa central
prison. The rebel gains are a significant blow to Assad, although his forces
have regained control of several villages and towns along a key highway near
Aleppo International Airport in the past week. Earlier on Monday, rebels
launched an offensive to try to seize the military air base of Mannagh near the
Turkish border and clashed with government forces at a historic mosque in
the nation’s largest city of Aleppo, activists said. In Saudi Arabia, US
Secretary of State John Kerry and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-
Faisal together warned Assad that they will boost support to rebels unless he
steps down. They also put the leaders of Iran’s leadership on notice that time
was running out for a diplomatic resolution to
concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme. SYRIA CONFLICT
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