Battle for Qusayr: First Stage Ended Successfully, Second Stage Launched, Kerry Admits Syria Gains , Urges Assad to Commit to Peace

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Battle for Qusayr: First Stage Ended Successfully, Second Stage Launched, Kerry Admits Syria Gains , Urges Assad to Commit to Peace

Syrian Army continued Wednesday its military operation in the northern city of Qusayr and the rest of its countryside.

“Army units were able to restore security and stabilization to the Akkari Farm and Tal Sarr, along with chasing militants in Hamidiya town of Qusayr countryside,” state-run news agency SANA reported.
Also in the border town, SANA said that tunnels have been detected in the western quarter used by terrorists to move and store weapons and ammunition, in addition to dismantling dozens of improvised explosive devices planted by militia militants inside citizens’ homes and on public highways in the city to prevent the progress of the Syrian courageous army.

Citing high rank military sources, Al-Manar TV correspondent reported that first stage of Qusayr operation has been ended successfully on Wednesday and the second stage has just been launched.
Qusayr city lies on the northern Syrian border with Lebanon, where terrorist groups and armed opposition gunmen are located.

Militants from Lebanon were detected Tuesday entering the Syrian territories to fight by the side of terrorist takfiris against the regular army. However, many of them were killed.

The Syrian Army launched on Sunday a large-scale operation to clear the area of terrorist gangs and liberate the citizens stuck there.


Source: Al-Manar Website	22-05-2013 - 18:15 Last updated 22-05-2013 - 18:15

Kerry Admits Syria Gains in Qusayr, Urges Assad to Commit to Peace

Local Editor

US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted on Wednesday the Syrian Army has achieved great gains in the northern border city of Qusayr, but saying they are not permanent.

Ahead of a meeting of the so-called ‘Friends of Syria’ group in Amman, Kerry called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to make "a commitment to find peace in his country."

In the same context, Kerry threatened if President Assad is unwilling to negotiate on peace terms, U.S. and other countries will discuss increasing support to Syrian opposition, without elaborating what kind of support they will offer.

US Congress committee voted on Wednesday on a bill to arm Syrian terrorists in their fight against the Arab country.

Syria: Friends of Syria group, Amman

Speaking at a press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, Kerry said a US-Russian proposed conference in Geneva seeks "to end the bloodshed what has cost tens of thousands of lives."

"We are committed to try to work this evening to find the unity in specific approaches, to find the unity to implement Geneva 1...that will allow the people of Syria to choose the future of Syria," he said.

That was a reference to an international conference last June in which several steps were laid down for ending the war, which were never implemented.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are attending the Amman gathering.

The meeting seeks to discuss US-Russian proposal to hold a peace conference dubbed "Geneva 2" to bring together the opposition and representatives of the Syrian government.