At least ten civilians killed by Syrian forces

The Arab League repeated its demand yesterday for the Syrian government to immediately stop all violence and allow more monitors in, as activists reported at least ten more civilians killed by regime forces, including two teenagers.

Fierce clashes in the south between government troops and military defectors left 11 soldiers dead, activists said.

The league called on “the Syrian government and various armed groups to immediately halt all forms of violence and to return to protesting peacefully for the success of the Arab League observers’ mission in Syria”.

Five foreign ministers from the Arab League, who met in Cairo, also said the 165 Arab League monitors already on the ground in Syria need greater independence from the regime.

The monitors are meant to be ensuring Syrian compliance with a plan to end the government’s crackdown on dissent. The Arab League plan calls on Syria to remove heavy weaponry such as tanks from all cities, free all political prisoners and allow in human rights organisations and foreign journalists. Syria agreed to the plan on 19 December.

But opposition activists say about 450 people have been killed by president Bashar al-Assad’s regime since observers began work in Syria. The opposition charges that the regime is misleading the 165 observers.

Arab League secretary general Nabil Elaraby said observers would continue their mission in Syria, despite claims by activists that the mission is giving cover to Mr Assad’s crackdown and delaying further action.

Qatar foreign minister Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr al- Thani saidL “We know that the Syrian people have made a decision, but what we want is to lessen the losses, human losses.”