Syrian troops push into strategic rebel-held town

Syrian troops have pushed into a rebel-held town near the Lebanese border, fighting house-to-house and bombing from the air as President Bashar Assad tried to strengthen his grip on a strategic strip of land running from the capital to the Mediterranean coast.

With the regime scoring gains on the battlefield, the US and Russia could face an even tougher task persuading Assad and his opponents to attend talks on ending Syria's 26-month-old conflict. Washington and Moscow hope to start talks with an international conference as early as next month, though no date has been set.

Government forces launched the offensive on the town of Qusair just hours after Assad said in a newspaper interview that he'll stay in his job until elections - effectively rejecting an opposition demand that any talks on a political transition lead to his ouster.

Even though the regime and the main opposition group have not yet committed to attending the conference, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he is hopeful it can take place "very soon," possibly in early June. In addition to the US and Russia, he said he has spoken with Britain, France, China and other key parties.


Russia and the US have backed opposite sides in Syria.








A government official said the regime left an escape road open to civilians, a claim denied by Abdullah, who said thousands of non-combatants were trapped in Qusair. "We tried to get civilians out four times. They are not allowing us," he said of regime forces.


Abdullah said the air raids destroyed at least 17 houses. A field hospital was damaged last week, leaving the town with only one medical centre which was unable to handle the influx of some 400 wounded Sunday, he said.

The main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said some 40,000 civilians are currently in Qusair and expressed concern for their safety. It urged the international community to step in to protect the lives of the civilians and called on the UN Security Council to denounce Hezbollah's involvement in the attack.


In the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli, clashes erupted between residents of a predominantly Alawite area and a majority Sunni neighbourhood, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. It said at least five people were wounded in the fighting.

Events in Syria often raise tension among rival sects in neighbouring Lebanon, particularly in Tripoli.

The Qusair offensive was just the latest indicator that the joint US-Russian diplomatic initiative faces challenges.

Russia, despite its stated commitment to Syria peace talks, has reportedly delivered an advanced version of its Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, prompting US complaints last week about an "ill-timed" step. Russia is a key political ally and arms supplier of the Assad regime, along with Iran.

The Obama administration, meanwhile, wants to avoid getting drawn into the Syria quagmire, despite pressure to find a way to end the bloodletting that has left more than 70,000 dead. US concerns have been heightened by the growing dominance of Islamic militants among the fighters, including those linked to the al-Qaeda terror network.


In a further complication, Israel could get drawn in.



- AP

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