Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutality, including starvation of his enemies, has driven rebels to fight back with suicide bombs. Twenty men were killed in attacks on security forces in northwest Syria Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The presence of United Nations observers in the country has not deterred the violence as the 13-month old rebellion has left Assad in a position of “do or die.”
A video below shows army soldiers firing at residents last week.
Official government media reported Monday that "two terrorist suicide bombs" killed eight people and wounded dozens of others. The admission that the opposition is resorting to suicide bombings is another indication of a wholesale civil war after more than 10,000 civilians have been murdered in wholesale shooting and artillery shelling by the Syrian army.
One blast reportedly occurred in or near Damascus, the stronghold of Assad’s support. Government media said that rebels carried out a rocket grenade attack on the country’s central bank Sunday night.
Maj. Gen Robert Mood, head of the UN mission, said that it will take more than observers to stop the violence. The United Nations still is counting on a six-point peace plan to restore order, but Assad previously has not lived up to any commitments while the traumatized rebels have vowed not to allow him to continue in power.
Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan has proposed that the “political process” be put into action, but Assad so far has announced reforms without carrying them out.
Under the United Nations plan, supervisors would monitor a ceasefire, humanitarian assistance would be allowed to enter stricken areas, prisoners would be released, journalists would be allowed to work freely and peaceful demonstrations would be allowed.
The violence erupted nearly a year ago after Assad’s soldiers and secret police fired on peaceful demonstrators who were asking for political reforms.
Since a supposed ceasefire less than three weeks ago, 500 people have been killed.