When the Defenseless People are Bombarded and the World Watches
On June 11, 2012, a violent escalation of military action by the Syrian army and security forces in different areas of Deir Ez-Zour governorate resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people and injured more than 70 others up to the time of writing this report.
Syrian army forces began the relentless bombardment in al Ashara city at about 12 noon, killing four people and injuring 17 others.
After this, a car bomb explosion, number 539, 608, occurred in al Joura area in Deir Ez-Zour city at 6 pm, with residents identifying the vehicle as a black Avanti owned by Abdullah al Sayyed Ahmad al Najm, which had been confiscated by the regime’s Military Security division in Deir Ez-Zour when al Sayyed was arrested several months ago. The fact that the car remained in the possession of and used by Military Security personnel confirms the involvement of Syrian Military Security forces in the operation, which is identical to previous bombings in al Midan neighborhood of Damascus, which have seen no international investigation to date. This latest terrorist attack killed 10 people, who we were able to positively identify, and three others whose identities we could not ascertain since their remains were so mangled in the explosion, in addition to 15 injured.
In response to these incidents, residents of al Jbeila staged a huge demonstration condemning the massacres in other areas of the governorate, accusing the Syrian regime and army of killing their family members and friends. In response to the protests, Syrian army forces shelled the unarmed protesters with heavy artillery, killing 12 civilians and injuring at least 40 others.
The next morning, Syrian army and security forces also attempted to break into al Nour Hospital in al Jbeila neighborhood to abduct those injured in the bombardment. However, due to the presence of Free Army forces outside the hospital guarding it, clashes broke out between the two sides, with the Syrian regime troops unable to abduct the injured.