Syrian troops stormed a flashpoint suburb of Damascus on Thursday, January 26 raiding homes and searching vehicles, while tens of thousands of backers of President Bashar Assad poured into the streets of several cities in a show of support for his embattled regime, The Associated Press reported.
Just days after pulling out of the suburb of Douma following intense clashes with anti-regime fighters, government troops pushed back in early Thursday from all directions, meeting no resistance, activists said.
"They are entering homes, searching cars and stopping people in the streets to check identity cards," activist and Douma resident Mohammed al-Saeed stated, saying the soldiers had lists of wanted people. "There is very little movement in the streets and nobody is allowed to leave or enter Douma."
The suburb has become a flashpoint in recent months, with large protests against Assad that security forces crushed by force.
Just 10 miles (16 kilometers) away in downtown Damascus, thousands of people waved Syrian flags and shouted support for President Bashar Assad. Similar rallies were held in Aleppo in the north, according to state-run media.
The Syrian revolt began 10 months ago with largely peaceful anti-government protests, but it has grown increasingly militarized in recent months as frustrated regime opponents and army defectors arm themselves and fight back against government forces. The government crackdown has killed more than 5,400 people since March, according to estimates from the United Nations.
