The spectre of civil war is rising in Syria as bloodsheds multiply. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 111 civilians have been killed in Kafrouaid (in Idlib, a north-western province bordering Turkey) on Tuesday, December 20th in addition to over 100 casualties among army deserters in the same province. On the same day, 12 civilians have been killed in Homs, the third city of the country located in central Syria. The day before, on December 19th and according to activists, more than 110 people may have died in fighting across Syria including about 60 to 70 army deserters who were apparently shot dead between the villages of Kafrouaid and Kansafra in Idlib province. As foreign media are totally banned from entering in Syria, none of the casualty claims can be independently verified. However, all the activist groups report a surge in violence over the past days, particularly in mountainous parts of Idlib province as well as in city of Homs.
According to the latest report published by the United Nation mid-December, at least 5,000 protesters have been killed by security forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the unrest eight month ago.
Due to the current situation, most of western embassies advise their citizens against all travel to Syria and advise those already in the country to consider leaving as soon as possible by commercial means.
