At Least 100 Killed in Syria as Arab League Deal Signed

by Jason Ditz

At least 100 people were killed across Syria today, including a large number of defectors from the nation’s military, as the Assad regime signed a deal with the Arab League to allow international monitors into the nation.
The largest incident in the nation was in the Idlib Province, along the Turkish border, where a group of military defectors was caught trying to flee their base and was attacked with machine gun fire. Reports say at least 72 were killed.
Syria has reportedly lost over 15,000 soldiers to defection over the past few months, with large numbers of them ending up in paramilitary groups attacking the regime. Other attacks in the nation were reported around the city of Homs, as well as against protesters in Idlib, with an estimated 28 civilians slain.
This marks the second time that an agreement with the Arab League on monitors has been immediately followed by a massive escalation in violence. Last time, the regime backed off and blocked the monitors, but it remains to be seen if they will follow through this time.