Damascus Is Shaking

Regime brought in more reinforcements to the Eastern Ghouta area in the suburbs of Damascus, as dozens of tanks, armoured units, and APCs were seen heading to the cities of Saqba, Hamouriya, and Kafarbatna. Meanwhile, the regime continued to shell residential areas in those cities with heavy artillery, AA guns, and tanks during a curfew imposed by snipers, while cutting off electricity, water, and communications. The regime tried to get into the city of Kafarbatna but a high ranking officer defected with 300 soldiers and joined the revolutionaries forcing the invading forces to retreat. Clashes and shelling continue in the suburbs of Yabroud, Rankous, Mleiha, and Qaboun which are almost impenetrable to the regime. Fearing loss over Syria’s most important city, the capital, the regime spread thousands of fully-equipped soldiers in all the main squares and roads of Damascus. The regime has been preparing for this day as it had been moving all financial assets, sensitive documents, and advanced military equipment to the mountains of Lattakia.

Assad’s forces killed at least 66 today; most fell in Damascus and Hama. Clashes continued in the cities of Homs and Rastan while Hama is still under invasion. In Idlib, revolutionaries engaged security forces in Jesr al-Shoughur and Ihsem amidst heavy shelling by tanks and AA guns, and heavy machinegun fire. In Aleppo, the regime increased its presence in the main squares and areas and waged an arbitrary arrests campaign.

Economically, the regime decided to ‘float’ the value of the Syrian Pound after its collapse against the US Dollar. This decision will contribute to the plummeting value of the SP which would cause an increase in living costs as most locally produced goods include imported material. Other than that, the prices of many imported products such as oils, tea, rice, coffee, and ghee are bound to sky rocket detonating the humanitarian conditions in the country even more