Syrian troops kill 12 on first day of Adha, Assad says victory is only option

Syrian President Bashar Assad said that in order for Syria to resist foreign plots, the Syrian people must stand against strife, terrorism and foreign meddling and stick to the principles and beliefs based on legitimate rights.      

“Syria is strong with its people, national choices and free decision. It insists on restoring all of its national rights”, Assad said after holding Eid prayers at the al-Nour Mosque in the northern town of Raqqa.      

“Victory is the only option in any battle that targets Syria’s sovereignty and free decision”, he added.      

On the field, Syrians in the restive region of Homs performed special prayers for a major Muslim holiday to the sound of explosions and gunfire as government troops pushed forward their assault on the area, killing at least 12 people Sunday, residents and activists said.      

The violence on the first day of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, added to fears that a peace plan brokered by the Arab League last week was unraveling and prompted Qatar's prime minister to call for an emergency meeting Saturday to discuss the Syrian government's failure to abide by its commitments.          

Violence has continued unabated, though Damascus agreed to halt its crackdown on the 7-month-old uprising that the U.N. says has left some 3,000 people dead.      

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops killed one person in the city of Hama during raids there and another in the northern Idlib province.      

Elsewhere, troops fired live ammunition to disperse protesters near Damascus and in the country's north as worshipers emerged from prayers to stage protests calling for Assad's ouster. There were no immediate reports of deaths but activists said several people were wounded in the northern province of Idlib.      

The Observatory said security forces also conducted raids in Raqqa after Eid prayers.