Western Journalists become casualties in Syria shelling

Heavy shelling which has become a way of life in Syria under the Bashar-Al-Assad regime and particularly in the city of Homs is now on its 19th day. And on the day alone, there has been about 60 civilian deaths reported all across Syria along with death of two foreign journalists. The journalist duo has been covering mass atrocities caused by the Syrian troops. They are 56-year-old Marie Colvin, a veteran American correspondent, with the Sunday Times of London and a 28-year-old French photographer in the name of Remi Ochlik.

The day saw rockets and bombs continuously being hurled on rebel-held areas of Homs. The temporary media center which the two reporters were using as their base has also been destroyed in the bombing. It is being suspected that satellite signals might have been used to trace the location of the media center.

From the beginning, the Al-Assad government has been trying to suppress the Syrian uprising by coercion and prevent national and International media from covering it. It has also been trying to give it the name of ‘armed insurgency’. In spite of threat to their lives both Syrian and foreign journalists are working incognito in Syria to report the happenings to the world.

The death of journalists duo and thousands of civilian casualties in Syria has sparked world outrage towards the government of Damascus. The International Red Cross is hoping that the journalists’ killing would now turn the attention of the whole world towards the sufferings of innocent Syrians. Earlier the International Red Cross has also requested the Syrian government for permission to bring medical help to the worst affected areas in the country and save civilian lives.

An estimated 5000 deaths in Syrian uprising claims UN official

As gunshots and explosives continue to rip apart Syria, more than 5000 Syrians have lost their lives during the nine month long Syrian uprising. The figure, which is higher than the previous estimate last week, has been claimed by Navi Pillay, the United Nations human rights high commissioner, on Monday. On the other hand, there has been more than 1100 deaths of police and other security services personnel as claimed by the Syrian authority.

As local elections are being held in Syria, low turn-out has been reported all around despite government’s claim to name Monday’s election as an act of “democracy and free will.” As it seems, elections have failed to put a halt on frequent security clampdown which has turned more brutal in the recent months. Syrian government have criticized the violence on peaceful activists as an act of “armed terrorist” and claimed no role in recent Syrian unrest. The opposition parties refused to believe the government's stand and demanded mass election boycott.

The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, has criticized the brutal suppression of civilians in Syria as ‘crime against humanity.’ She further stated that such actions need to be referred to the International Criminal Court.