Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Free Syrian Army [FSA] and Syrian revolution coordination committees have categorically rejected reports published in the Syrian Al-Watan newspaper that “the competent authorities were able after violent clashes with gunmen in Baba Amru (in Homs) to kill several of them, wound others, and arrest others as well. It became evident that they included ones who carry Lebanese, Libyan, and Afghan nationalities and had Israeli weapons.” They labelled this information deception and lies.
The regime-affiliated Al-Watan newspaper said that “during the chasing of the terrorists in Baba Amru neighbourhood, the competent authorities seized Israeli-made (LAW) rockets, US and Israeli-made highly accurate and rapid-fire sniper guns never seen before, in addition to weapons and shells of various calibers. Some of these elements were also arrested and it became evident that some of them carry Lebanese, Libyan, and Afghan nationalities. The information indicates their association with “Al-Qaeda” organization.”
Al-Baath newspaper, the ruling party’s mouthpiece in Syria, also announced the capture of Israeli-made weapons and said “the competent authorities dismantled an explosive device weighing 1.5 kg that a terrorist group planted under the car of a school headmaster in Lattakia. It was discovered after it was dismantled that the device contained the highly explosive C4 material.” It pointed out that “this material is made abroad and Syria does not produce it and the Israeli occupation entity is considered its largest producer in the region.”
A leading “FSA” officer considered the “aim of this information is to deceive and fabricate lies because this (Syrian) regime is built on lies and deception to solicit the people’s sympathy and justify its crimes.” As to the seizure of Israeli weapons in Homs, the officer who refused to be named told Asharq Al-Awsat: “This is a scenario to scare the people. The fact is that Al-Assad family’s regime alone has been the agent of Israel for 40 years. It is starting today to claim that it is the target of an Israeli-American conspiracy and at times claims it is targeted by Al-Qaeda organization. We assert there are no foreign gunmen in Syria other than the fighters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah who are fighting alongside this regime for its survival.” He asked: “Why Bashar al-Assad does not allow the media to enter Syria and report the truth as it is?” He pledged to the Syrian people that the “FSA will live to their expectation and will continue to defend our people until the regime is brought down, especially after the international community has let us down.”