Syrian army intensifies shelling on Rastan, Barak says Assad is over

Regime forces shelled the rebel town of Rastan early Thursday destroying it gradually, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, while calling on UN observers to rush to the town in central Homs province.               

It was reported that at least 30 shells smashed into the town in a 10 minute period. UN observers were urged to visit Rastan immediately, where the truce has been repeatedly violated on a daily basis.                   

AFP quoted Syrian activists as saying that all this shelling aims at frustrating the people and the Free Syrian Army who are defending the town of Rastan.      The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that many were killed and injured by the the Free Syrian Army’s gunshots and shelling during confrontations rocking Khan Cheikhoun, Deraa, Homs, Reef Dimashq and Al-Rekka.       

Meanwhile, SANA reported that a funeral was held for 9 army members, forces of order and civilians who were killed by armed terrorist groups in Damascus, Reef Dimashq, Deraa, Hama and Aleppo.        

Elsewhere Thursday, two blasts rocked the neighborhoods of Al-Jamila and Al-Furqan in Aleppo, while other explosions were heard across the northern city early morning.                             

A key activist group on Thursday accused Syria's opposition council of drifting away from the spirit of the country's revolution, dealing a further blow to a body already facing major political and organizational challenges in its quest to oust President Bashar Assad.                     

The activist group, called the Local Coordination Committees, threatened to suspend its membership in the Syrian National Council if its concerns are not addressed.                   

Syrian National Council President Burhan Ghalioun said on Thursday he was ready to quit as the head of the main opposition body as soon as a successor is selected, after mounting criticism of his leadership.      

In this regard, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Syrian President Bashar Assad is over, calling on the international community to intensify pressure on his regime. Barak told CNN that those who must leave are Assad and the senior officials surrounding him, not the other regime’s structures like the army.      

AP/LBCI