ASSAD’S GUNSHIPS WOULD FACE CERTAIN DEATH AGAINST ANY REAL ARMY - BUT AGAINST UNARMED CIVILIANS, THEY WORK JUST FINE. Idleb (Jabal Al-Zaweyeh): May 24, 2012 - Assad’s fleet of decrepit Russian made and supplied helicopter gunships bring a reign of terror over the towns and villages they target. Assad did not dare to use these helicopters to liberate the Golan Heights, it was never his intention (or his fathers) when he purchased them.

They always knew who the intended target was: Unarmed Syrians. 

Thanks @IbnOmar2005

ASSAD’S FORCES CONTINUE TO USE RUSSIAN HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS TO ATTACK TOWNS ACROSS SYRIA. Idleb (Ma’ar Shamreen): May 22, 2012 - This is the reason why Syrians have been pleading with the international community for a “No Fly Zone”. Their voices are left unheard though …

Thanks @SyriaArchives

***HEARTBREAKING AND AWFUL*** A LITTLE GIRL SCREAMS IN PAIN AS SHE IS TREATED FOR SERIOUS INJURIES SUSTAINED BY SHELL SHRAPNEL FROM ASSAD’S FORCES. Homs (Rastan): May 20, 2012 - After the UN observers left the town, despite locals begging them to stay, Assad’s forces promptly resumed shelling the town as punishment for their unwillingness to bow to Assad. They do not care if they kill or injure little girls such as this one.

The town of Rastan is where many officers in Assad’s army used to come from, not any more, many have defected, including many family members of the former Defense Minister Feras Tlass. This is why Assad is trying to obliterate the city and it’s entire population.

This little girl is Assad’s target. She is the future of Syria and he wants to wipe out any chance of a future. Listen to her screams. What did she do to deserve such horrific injuries?

Thanks @HamaEcho

THIS IS HOW THE VICTIMS OF ASSAD’S SNIPERS ARE RESCUED FROM THE STREETS OF SYRIA. Homs: May 18, 2012 - A man walks down the street. Assad’s snipers shoot him for no other reason than the fact that they can. He falls to the ground. No one dares to run out and rescue him - for they will also by shot. Lucky for this man (as far as we can see he is alive) is that he was shot infront of the door to a house where a man is able to pick him up and bring him to safety.

Trying to get him medical treatment will be another ordeal …

Thanks @i_magpie

From #Russia to #Syria with love

THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY STRIKES BACK AT ASSAD’S FORCE IN RESPONSE TO THE MASSACRE OF KHAN SHAYKHOUN ON MAY 15. Idleb (Khan Shaykhoun): May 16, 2012 - The FSA has promised to defend Syrians against the forces of Bashar Al Assad and fight back when they attack.

Here we can see the FSA detonate two IED’s against a Assadist tanks. The first one appears to have not damages the T-72 tank whereas the second one takes out a BMP tank.

Thanks @HamaEcho

YOU WONT FIND ANY U.N. OBSERVERS HERE - BECASUE ASSAD’S FORCES ARE SHELLING THE TOWN TO THE GROUND. Homs (Rastan): May 18, 2012 - In the words of @Arwamenla “Now you watch the town, later you’ll watch the corpses.”

More shelling at the crack of dawn.

Thanks @Arwamenla

***NEW VIDEO*** PROTESTERS PULL A UN OBSERVER TO SAFETY AS ASSAD’S FORCES OPEN FIRE ON THE CONVOY. Idleb (Khan Shaykhoun): May 15, 2012 - On a day where Bashar Al Assad’s forces massacred 22 people in this town and shelled the United Nations convoy, this video emerges of unarmed and peaceful protesters rescuing a UN observer and moving him to safety as Assad’s forces open fire.

A longer video of the attack by Assad’s forces on protesters and the UN convoy.

The UN observers ended up spending the night in the town as they could not be evacuated. So far not a word from the UN on the incident except for a vague statement claiming they did not know who was firing. Not even a mention of the 22 dead and almost 100 injured in the massacre.

This is sounding and feeling like Balkan conflict all over again. A foreign backed government massacring it’s own people.

Thanks HouriaBas

ONLY HOURS AFTER THE UN OBSERVERS LEAVE KHAN SHAYKHOUN, ASSAD’S TANKS ROLL IN AGAIN TO RESUME SHELLING. Idleb (Khan Shaykhoun): May 16, 2012 - A day after this massacre, where 22 people where murdered by Assad’s forces and a UN convoy was hit by mortar fire from Assad’s forces. The tanks come rolling back in for more…

Thanks @HamaEcho

Another excellent and informative post by Bjørn Holst Jespersen from his blog which can be accessed here.

This post is to give an impression of some of the weapons used on the city of Homs by the Syrian regime forces.  Please notice: I’m not an authority in this field and I continuously update and correct this post.

BRDM-2
(added may 13.)

Another weapon has been seen used by the Syrian regime in Homs. It’s a four wheel armored vehicle with a turret mounted heavy machine gun. The weapon is shown in a video that was linked-to in a tweet from an activist: 

‏ @HamaEcho: 

A frame from video on MyAbotarek’s YouTube channel showing the vehicle firing towards the camera.
In the video the vehicle is seen firing at least 15 rounds in the direction of the rather courageous camera man. To identify the vehicle I’ve stitched together two frames from the video in the image below, and as can be seen from the comparison it matches the Russian (or Soviet) made BRDM-2. It’s is an amphibious armoured patrol car, and its main weapon is a 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun.

Apparently its blue colour and the absence of caterpillars is meant to make it a police vehicle. But even if such vehicles have been used for police purposes in other countries keeping on the 14.5 mm machine gun in my view makes is a military weapon.  

Left: two frames from  video on MyAbotarek’s YouTube channel stitched together. Right: photo of a BRDM-2 in Polish service from Wikipedia.
According to Wikipedia, Syria is estimated to have some 950 of these vehicles, which made it a bit surprising to me that the model hasn’t been seen in use more often. One possible explanation that I’ve come up with is that the armour of the BRDM-2 is significantly thinner than that of the BMP-1: the thickness of the armour of the hull floor is 2-3 mm and the hull sides 7 mm (also according to Wikipedia) this - I believe - makes it quite vulnerable in urban warfare. And with an estimated number of BMP-1s for Syria of 2,100 (by 2005) there have been plenty of these until now. Therefore, in accordance with what’s indicated in the tweet, I see this use of the BRDM-2 as an attempt to make it appear as if the regime is complying with the Annan ceasefire agreement and not as the result of either a decreased level of tension or a lack of better armoured vehicles.

Update: May 16.
It seems the use of the BRDM-2 as a police vehicle is not a response to the Annan ceasefire “agreement”. The blog Military In The Middle East have a post showing images dating back to November 10. where the BRDM-2 is shown in this configuration.

Left frame: Under “Police” the Arabic lettering can be translated literally as “maintaining security and order forces”. Images and caption from Military In The Middle East.
*note: about the vulnerability of the vehicle: according to tweeter @markito0171 the BRDM-2 is not safe against 12.7 mm heavy machine guns.

- any corrections and additions to this section are welcome. You can leave information as a comment or use the contact links at the end of this post.

THE PITCH BLACK DARKNESS ONLY MAKES IT WORSE - ASSAD’S FORCES SHELL THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Homs (Al-Quseir): May 15, 2012 - There is no need for a visual, the sounds are terrifying enough. In the words of @HamaEcho “People sit in the dark and wait for their turn to die”

Thanks @HamaEcho

***GRAPHIC*** THE AFTERMATH OF A CHILD’S ARM AFTER HE WAS RUN OVER BY AN ASSADIST BMP TANK. Aleppo (A’zaaz): May 15, 2012 - What more is there to add? If they can’t kill Syrian children with bullets or shells, they try to run them over with tanks.

This is Assad. These are his forces.

Thanks @NMSyria

RETARDS IN A TANK - ASSAD’S FORCES MANAGE TO FLIP OVER THEIR BMP TANK IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OVER A CAR. Dier Al Zor: May 15, 2012 - Watch at the 2:30 mark. As they shell and attack the city early this morning, Assad’s forces use their blanket impunity to do as they like - including running over anything and everything with their Russian made and supplied tanks.

However, Assad’s forces are idiots. Much more than that they are disgusting animals with no regard for life, not even women and children. This video is just one example showing that Assad’s army is exactly that. For Assad. Not for Syria. This army cannot defend Syria nor can they ever hope to reclaim and liberate the Golan Heights. This army was created to be used against unarmed civilians.

The retards in this tank just proved it.

Thanks @HamaEcho

BASHAR AL ASSAD’S LEGS … RUSSIA AND CHINA