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Syrian troops backed by tanks killed at least five civilians,torched homes and looted shops when they overran a rebellious SunniMuslim farming village Sunday, as tensions from the 14-month-olduprising also spilled into neighboring Lebanon. Sunday's raid against the impoverished village of al-Tamana, 55kilometers northwest of Hama, cast further doubt on the viabilityof U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's plan to end the bloodyconflict peacefully. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saidal-Tamana was "subjected to collective punishment" with "over halfof its houses burned, several people executed [upon arrest] and therest killed from bombardment." The watchdog group said at least 25 people, 18 civilians, fivesoldiers and two anti-government rebels, were killed Sunday asviolence ripped through various Syrian flashpoint areas. Opposition activists said al-Tamana had seen regularanti-government protests. The village was one of dozens of Sunnisettlements torched since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forcesseized control of the cities of Homs and Hama. Residents of the nearby Alawite village of al-Aziziyeh, arecruiting ground for the loyalist Shabbiha militia, took part in aseparate assault on al-Tamana Friday. Syria's Sunni majority is at the forefront of the uprising againstMr. Assad, whose Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. In a sign the sectarian tension threatens to spill over intoLebanon, three people were killed early Sunday when gunbattlesbroke out in an Alawite enclave and surrounding Sunni neighborhoodsof the northern port city of Tripoli. Lebanon is sharply split along sectarian lines, with 18 religioussects. But it also has a fragile political fault line preciselyover the issue of Syria. An array of pro-Syrian parties support Mr. Assad's government, asdo many Lebanese citizens. Others oppose the Syrian leader andaccuse Damascus of heavy-handed meddling in Lebanese affairs. Violence by Mr. Assad's forces and his increasingly armed foes hascontinued despite an April 12 cease-fire declared by Mr. Annan andthe presence of a U.N. monitoring mission now with about 150observers on the ground. In another development Sunday, two Turkish journalists who had beendetained in Syria for two months arrived in Istanbul on a planefrom Iran, after Tehran helped negotiate their release. Reporters Adem Ozkose and Hamit Coskun were abducted bypro-government militiamen and handed over to Syrian intelligence,which held them separately in a Damascus prison. The two mensaid they feared they would die after spending 55 days isolated incramped concrete cells. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Cardboard Shirt Box , Colour Flyer Printing, and more. For more , please visit Decorating Gift Boxes today!
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