Clashes in Damascus, casualties reported

ANKARA (A.A) - March 19, 2012 - Clashes between Syria's regular army and the Free Syrian army have been reported in Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday. The Syrian General Revolutionary Council, an opposition group, said Monday that there were casualties in today's fight between the two armies in the Mezze district of Damascus. Opposition members have said that there have been many explosions in Damascus and Syrian security forces have waged operations on various residences and arrested individuals at random. On Sunday, around 50 opposition members were killed by Syrian troops in different parts of the country. The wave of "Arab Spring" reached Syria on March 15, 2011 and Syrian people started to protest the government in a small southern city. The government responded with heavy-handed force, and demonstrations quickly spread across much of the country. Thousands of people are reported to be killed in ongoing protests in Syria so far. Syria was expelled from the Arab League after it agreed to a peace plan only to step up attacks on protesters. In late 2011 and early 2012, Syria agreed to allow league observers into the country. But their presence did nothing to slow the violence. In February, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on the uprising, but China and Russia have blocked all efforts by the United Nations, the Arab League and others for a more forceful intervention. In November 2011, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled a list of nine sanctions on Syria.