BEIRUT, Lebanon — Deserters from the Syrian Army reportedly carried out attacks against the offices of the Syrian ruling Baath party in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a day after they claimed an assault on an intelligence base that Russia, Syria’s closest ally, said was bringing the country closer to civil war.
The Syrian government did not mention either attack, which were reported by activists, citing the accounts of local residents, and their scale and effectiveness was not clear. But even without a firm picture of any damage, the attacks were, at a minimum, indicative of growing boldness on the part of military defectors in the face of a crackdown that the United Nations says has killed more than 3,500 people.
via Armed Groups Are on Rise in Syria, as Are Civil War Fears – NYTimes.com.
