8 law-enforcement members killed by armed groups in Syria
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Xinhua, September 8, 2011
Eight law-enforcement and security members were killed and dozens injured Wednesday by armed groups in several neighborhood in the central city of Homs, the official SANA news agency reported.
These armed groups attacked civilians and sabotaged public and private properties, SANA said, adding that special apparatuses handled these groups and confronted it, leaving five of its members killed and arrested others.
It said those who were killed were wanted and had criminal records of robbery and murder.
In a related development, an official military source was quoted late Wednesday by SANA as saying that security forces hunted down and confronted a "terrorist" group at al-Hamidieah neighborhood in Homs and confiscated automatic rifles, explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades. The source said some members of the armed group were killed in the shooting.
The group has booby-trapped the Hamidieah area, the source said, adding engineering experts were called to dismantle the explosives.
Earlier Wednesday, about 11 law-enforcement members and four civilians were injured when an explosive device, set by armed terrorist groups, exploded in the southern town of Naeima, according to SANA.
Meanwhile, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said about 10 civilians were killed in clashes with government forces Wednesday across Syria.
The report couldn't be independently verified as journalists are banned from heading to restive areas.
Syria has been in unrest since mid-March when anti-government protests broke out in the southern province of Daraa and spread to other cities.
Activists and human rights groups said more than 2,200 civilians have been killed in the alleged government operation against the protest movement.
The Syrian government disputes the toll, blaming the months long unrest on armed groups backed by foreign conspiracy with the aim of unseating al-Assad.
The Syrian authorities have vowed to track down gunmen who have intimidated the people and damaged public and private properties.
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