Turkey impose sanctions on Syria as rebels kill seven

SEVEN Syrian soldiers were killed by army renegades and six civilians were gunned down yesterday, as regional pressure increased on the regime of president Bashar al-Assad.

The killings came as Turkey imposed tough, new economic sanctions on Damascus.

Syria is now sliding towards civil war following a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests which began in March.

Soldiers are defecting with their weaponry to take on troops loyal to Mr Assad.

Piling pressure on Mr Assad, Syria’s biggest trade partner Turkey suspended all financial credit dealings with Damascus and froze its assets, joining the Arab League in isolating him over the continued bloodshed.

The Arab League said it would place Syria’s defence and interior ministers on a list of officials it will ban from travelling to neighbouring Arab countries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group, said clashes erupted in the southern town of Dael when security forces moved in early yesterday, and continued until the afternoon.

“Two security force vehicles were blown up. Seven [troops] were killed,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the observatory, adding that 19 people were wounded, four critically.

An activist from the town, in the province of Deraa, said 30 busloads of security men stormed into Dael but two of the buses were blown up in fighting between security forces and defectors. One bus was empty.

In the north of Syria, at least six civilians were shot dead when security forces broke up a demonstration in the city of Idlib, the Observatory said.

“They have not blocked protests in Idlib for weeks. Today they fired at a crowd of thousands who were marching from a roundabout to the main Mohafaza Square,” said one activist who helped transport three of the injured to Turkey.

Turkey’s move follows the decision by the Arab League on Sunday to impose sanctions on Damascus. The European Union weighed in a day later.

Turkey, a Nato member with a 600-mile border with Syria, said it did not want military intervention in Syria but was ready for any eventuality.

Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday said Turkey would block delivery of all weapons and military supplies to Syria. Relations with Syria’s central bank were suspended and a co-operation agreement frozen until a new government is in place.

“Until a legitimate government, which is at peace with its people, is in charge in Syria, the [agreement] has been suspended,” Mr Davutoglu said.

Mr Assad’s rule had reached “the end of the road,” he added.

Muslim Turkey, which last year had £1.9 billion in bilateral trade with Syria, was once one of Mr Assad’s closest allies, but premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan lost patience with him. Turkey now plays host to Syrian army defectors and opposition groups.

Syria excludes most foreign journalists.

Damascus claims it is fighting an insurgency by armed groups supported from abroad, who have attacked its troops.

Military funerals were held for 14 members of the security forces on Tuesday, evidence of the rising cost of its battle to smother the revolt inspired by Arab uprisings that toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in spring this year.

“The martyrs were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Homs and the Damascus countryside,” state news said.

The world’s largest Islamic body, the Organisation of the Islamic Co-operation, urged Syria last night to “immediately stop using excessive force” against citizens, in a statement released after a meeting in Saudi Arabia.