Syrian army deserters kill 18 members of security forces

Syrian army deserters killed at least 18 members of President Bashar al-Assad's security forces in the southern province of Deraa on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
   
It said dozens of soldiers who deserted their posts at dawn came under fire from a police station in the town of Jassem as they fled with their weapons. The heavily armed defectors returned fire, killing at least 18 people, the Observatory said, adding that the bodies were taken to a government hospital.

The Arab League had earlier called for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria after reports that Syrian security forces are still killing anti-government protesters despite the observers' presence.
 
Deputy secretary-general, Ahmed bin Heli, said on Tuesday that the meeting will take place Saturday in Cairo.
 
There are about 100 Arab League monitors in Syria, dispatched to verify the regime's compliance with a plan to stop its crackdown on dissent.
 
An explosion also struck a gas pipeline Tuesday in central Syria in an attack the government blamed on terrorists, the state-run news agency said. There were no casualties.        

The blast happened near the town Rastan in the restive Homs province, SANA reported.          

There have been several pipeline attacks since the Syrian uprising began in mid-March, but it is not clear who is behind them at a time when violence across the country is spiraling out control, unearthing long-standing grievances and resentments.           

The government blames saboteurs and terrorists for the blasts.           

But the opposition accuses the regime of playing on fears of religious extremism and terrorism to rally support behind President Bashar Assad, who has portrayed himself as the only force that can stabilize the country.      

AP