Syrian activists say opposition forces have wrested control of the town of Zabadani from government troops, but the authorities' tanks remain perched on its outskirts.
"There was massive protests in Zabadani, so the Syrian Army tried to disperse them. But our troops were very organized and aggressive with a counter attack that left them fleeing and they withdrew completely out of the city," said Lt. Col. Mohamed Hamdo of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group made up of former government soldiers. "Our forces raised the flag of independence in Zabadani." Hamdo said, though, that the opposition fighters "expect another confrontation" as the government forces regroup outside the town.
According to an activist, Zabadani residents aided the rebel force by providing them with clothing and shelter. No civilians were killed there on Wednesday, January 18, he added.
Elsewhere, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said 21 more people were killed by government troops on Wednesday. Of those, 13 were killed in Homs, the scene of the worst violence in recent weeks, with the rest scattered around the country, the LCC said.
Four people were killed in Idlib, two in the Damascus suburbs, one in Aleppo and one in Daraa, according to the LCC.
The Syrian Arab News Agency, meanwhile, said 15 police officers and soldiers, including an army colonel, had been killed in recent fighting, CNN reported.
