Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Trapped in Homs...and Hama...and Douma...and...

Shelling of Hama in Syria, amid calls to prayer, on Wednesday

See also Sudan Feature: The Protests Revive
Syria Revealed: CIA Helping with Arms Shipments to Insurgents
Turkey Live Coverage (21 June): A Questionable Military Declaration
Wednesday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Mubarak Not Quite "Clinically Dead"; 50+ Very Dead in Syria

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2042 GMT: Sudan. To comply with austerity measures ordered by the national government, Khartoum State Governor Abdel Rahman Khedr has dissolved his Cabinet.

On Monday, President Umar al-Bashir ordered cuts to cope with the loss of about 75% of the country’s oil output when South Sudan seceded last year.

The measures have sparked student protests (see separate feature). About 200 gathered at the University of Khartoum early today to prepare for another anti-government rally, defying police who fired tear gas and warnings shots on Wednesday to disperse protesters.

2038 GMT: Syria. Claimed footage of a bus burning in the Kafarsouseh section of Damascus after being hit by a shell:

2020 GMT: Kuwait. Clarifying a story we noted yesterday....

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ruled the Parliament was elected unconstitutionally and restoring the previous legislature.

Earlier in the week, the Emir had suspended the legislature for a month, following pressure by the MPs on Ministers to resign or face interrogation.

The State news agency KUNA said the court threw out results in elections on 2 February because the Emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, drew up the decree for the ballot after the Cabinet had resigned.

After the decision,about 400 demonstrators gathered outside Parliament, calling for laws allowing the formation of political parties, reforms in voting legislation, and the replacement of Prime Minister Sheik Jaber Al Hamad Al Sabah with someone not linked to the royal family.

2016 GMT: Bahrain. The security forces have refused a permit to the opposition society Al Wefaq "to hold a rally from Khamis area to Shaikh Aziz mosque" tomorrow, because "traffic would have been hindered and the security and public interests will be disturbed".

1941 GMT: Bahrain. Saeed al-Samaheeji, one of nine medics whose convictions were upheld in court last week, has gone on hunger strike in protest against the injustice of his, and others, convictions. In a decision condemned by human rights organisations, and which the US was "deeply disappointed" by, al-Samaheeji was again found guilty last Thursday and given a one year sentence, despite the findings of the government commissioned BICI report.

The Associated Press reports:

The 58-year-old Samaheeji remains free while he considers appealing his one-year sentence. He said Thursday that he went on a hunger strike to protest “brutal and fabricated charges” and draw international attention to the plight of all the doctors, hoping their sentences would eventually being thrown out.

Authorities say the doctors sided with protesters last year and tried to topple the country’s ruling system. The doctors said they were only doing their jobs during the protests and subsequent bloody crackdown.

“We are doctors, not criminals, and we were trying to save lives, and these sentences are political convictions. ... We are innocent,” al-Samaheeji told reporters.

1843 GMT: Syria. The death toll continues to climb. The LCCS now reports that 115 have been killed so far today:

19 martyrs were reported in a new massacre in Inkhel, 18 were reported following shelling of Kafar Shams in Daraa, 14 in a massacre in Douma in Damascus Suburbs, and more than 14 in Deir Baalba neighborhood in Homs. The distribution of martyrs be region is as follows: 37 in Daraa, 32 in Homs, 24 in Damascus Suburbs (Douma, Daraya, and Sarghaya), 7 in Idlib, 5 in Hama, 4 in Deir EzZor, 3 in Aleppo, 2 in Damascus, and 1 in Lattakia.

1821 GMT: Syria. The Vatican has undergone a quick reversal on the situation in Syria. While promoting pro-regime and anti-opposition propaganda on the Vatican website only a few weeks ago, the Pope has now gathered with Eastern rite Catholics, and has denounced the human rights abuses being committed. The Pope also announced that he will be visiting Lebanon in September.

1805 GMT: Syria. A striking claim from the LCCS - that there is a gun battle between insurgents and security forces in the Kafer Souseh distritc of Damascus, strikingly close to the center of Assad's power:

Fierce clashes between FSA and regime's army are reported on the Janoobi Rounabout near the pedesrtian bridge in Baqla Alley, and near Lowan bridge. Huge military reinforcements headed towards the area accompanied with warplanes flying in the sky above the city.

We believe that location is approximately here, which you can view on our interactive map that our intern, Josh Moss, and I have made today:

View Syria - 2012 June 21 - EA Worldview in a larger map

Any battle this close to the heart of the capital is significant news. We'll keep our eyes on it.

1726 GMT: Syria. Shells continued to fall in many cities until dusk, and in some locations the shelling continues.

Talbiseh, Homs (map):

Harasta, a northeastern suburb of Damascus (map):

Izaz, Aleppo (map):

1657 GMT: Syria. The Local Coordinating Committees report that at least 100 people have been killed thus far today across the nation:

18 martyrs were reported in a new massacre in Inkhel, 12 in a massacre in Douma, Damascus Suburbs, more than 14 in Deir Baalba neighborhood in Homs. Martyrs are distributed in areas as follows: 32 in Homs, 24 in Daraa,24 in Damascus Suburbs (Douma, Daraya and Serghaya), 7 in Idlib, 4 in Hama, 3 in Deir Ezzor, 3 in Aleppo, 1 in Damascus and 1 in Lattakia.

The number is much higher than average, but also striking are the amount of locations reporting big numbers, indicating that the violence is very intense, but also very widespread.

1640 GMT: Syria. The US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, has sent a message to Syrian soldiers - leave the Assad military, or potentially face legal consequences for any human rights violations committed while on duty. Ford said that the evidence was clear that the Assad military had committed atrocities, including the shelling of cities and the coordination with the "shabiha" militia in the committing of several massacres.

he said, members of the Syrian military "should reconsider their support for a regime that is losing the battle. The Assad regime cannot outlast the desire of Syrian people for a democratic state."

Officers and soldiers "have a choice to make," he said.

"Do they want to expose themselves to criminal prosecution by supporting the barbaric actions of the Assad regime ... or do they want to help secure the role of the professional military in a democratic Syria by supporting ... transition to an inclusive, tolerant and representative democracy that respects human rights and equal, fair treatment for all components of the Syrian nation?"

Ford referred to Washington's support for the international tribunal trying cases in the Balkan conflicts, saying "we stand ready to do the same in the case of Syria."

The statements made by Ford are somewhat reminiscent of material distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan before US military actions there. While it's clear that the US is not prepared for direct intervention anytime soon, the message is that the soldiers are on the losing side, and supporting that side may have consequences, including death and prosecution.

1544 GMT: Syria. Most of today's death toll is not made up of insurgents and soldiers - the civilians are paying the highest price. This disturbing video, reportedly taken in the opposition stronghold of Kafer Takharim, in Idlib province (map), appears to show a woman and her baby killed in the streets, reportedly by Assad security forces. It is disturbing, but not uncommon, footage from Syria:

1536 GMT: Syria. President Assad is widely unpopular in the region, even (by a very slim margin) in Lebanon. According to the latest Pew Research poll, nearly 90% of people in some key countries want Assad to step down:

However, there is little appetite for Western intervention, and there are other interesting trends within the data. A few key comments on Twitter:

Overall, only 59% of Lebanese view Assad unfavorably, according to the Pew poll.

— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) June 21, 2012

PEW: 80% of Lebanese Sunnis for Assad to step down, 67% of Lebanese Christians, 3% of Lebanese Shia. pewglobal.org/2012/06/21/wid…

— abuhatem (@abuhatem) June 21, 2012

PEW: Turkey has only 24% supporting Western intervention in Syria and 29% supporting Arab intervention pewglobal.org/2012/06/21/wid…

— abuhatem (@abuhatem) June 21, 2012

1530 GMT: Syria. This is where the international implications for today's defection of a MIG jet fighter to Jordan get complicated:

#BreakingNews: #Syria defense ministry says defected fighter jet pilot who claimed asylum in Jordan is a "traitor," demands plane back

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 21, 2012

1522 GMT: Syria. Incapable of standing toe-to-toe with the Syrian military, FSA fighters employee hit and run tactics in Kafr Shamis, north of Daraa (map):

1459 GMT: Syria. According to the LCCS, at least 81 people have been killed so far across the country.

At least 18 were reportedly killed in Inkhel Daraa (map), and more than a dozen were killed in Douma and in a single neighborhood of Homs, Deir Baalba (map).

Martyrs are distributed in areas as follows: 24 in Daraa, 22 in Homs, 16 in Damascus Suburbs (Douma, Daraya and Serghaya), 7 in Idlib, 4 in Hama, 3 in Deir Ezzor, 3 in Aleppo, 1 in Damascus and 1 in Lattakia.

We'd note that this tally contradicts an earlier report that 24 were killed in Douma alone. However, the situation today in Syria is HIGHLY chaotic, with several areas reporting pitched battles and heavy bombardment. The takeaway at this point is that the death toll is very high, will almost certainly rise, and the deaths are far more widespread than most high-casualty days.

1448 GMT: Syria. The battles in Homs are not one sided, however. There are scattered reports that the Free Syrian Army has engaged Assad forces in battle, particularly in the south of the city in Baba Amr (Map). This video reportedly shows FSA fighters trying to rescue an injured comrade in the middle of the firefight:

1423 GMT: Syria. Al Qusayr, a city south of Homs (Map), has also seen a major military attack today. The LCCS reports:

At least 5 martyrs fell including a woman, in addition to more than 60 wounded in a critical condition due to bombing using helicopters and heavy machine guns towards civilian's houses.

However, that report is two hours old, and new reports of more shelling, more wounded, and we believe additional dead, are still coming in. Meanwhile, central Homs was also heavily shelled yet again. This video reportedly shows shells falling on the Khalideeh district of the city (map):

And north of Homs, shells can be heard whistling in before exploding in al Rastan (map):

1414 GMT: Syria. The situation in Douma, east of Damascus (map) is FAR worse than we previously suspected, according to the LCCS:

The number of martyrs in Douma has risen to 24 thus far, due to the fierce shelling in the city. Dozens of wounded were reported. A large number of residents are displacing because of the intensity of shelling.

A dramatic video, reportedly of tanks firing on the cameraman:

However, this video claims to show a tank destroyed by the Free Syrian Army:

Another video reportedly shows widespread damage in the suburb, mainly to local shops.

The Free Syrian Army and the Assad regular army are now in the middle of a major firefight in Douma, and the civilians are paying the price for the battle.

1344 GMT: Syria. Things are ugly east of Damascus. The Local Coordinating Committees have this report on the situation in Douma (map):

Powerful explosions shook Karm Al-Rasas area behind Douma's municipal, and mortars continue to fall in Aleppo Street.

There is also word that a man who was shot by security forces earlier had to have his leg amputated, and he died. It is possible that the man, named Abu Firas Asali, is the man shot in the leg in the video we posted earlier, but this is unconfirmed. (see update 1315 GMT)

1325 GMT: Syria. The military campaign against Daraa, in southern Syria, continues. This video shows smoke rising over al Harak (map) after a shell hit, all the while gunfire rings out in the distance. Another video shows residents fleeing the city, while others reportedly show the wounded as a result of the shelling.

Residents report that these helicopters are responsible for much of the damage from shells and heavy machine-gun rounds:

1315 GMT: Syria. More drama in Douma, just east of the capital (Map). With tanks deployed on the streets, and military raids nearly constant, the tension in the Damascus suburb is palpable.

But even for Douma this video is dramatic. Several men stand in the street when a speeding military vehicle speeds by, shooting one of the men and filling the street with bullets:

1310 GMT: Syria. The Russian foreign minister has admitted that a ship that turned back from docking in Syria did in fact carry attack helicopters. He also added an explanation that the return of the ship to a Russian port had nothing to do with diplomatic pressure, but instead was due to insurance problems, and it will return to Syria:

The Russian ship MV Alaed, carrying a cargo of overhauled Russian-made Mil Mi-25 helicopter gunships bound for Syria, will dock in the north Russian port of Murmansk on Saturday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

"While transiting the North Sea to the Atlantic, the ship-owner was informed that its third-party insurance cover had been withdrawn, and the classification agency in which the ship is located - although it is registered under a Curacao flag - demanded it go into a port for inspection. In order to avoid delay, it was decided to dock in Murmansk where it is expected on Saturday, for re-registration under the Russian flag," he said.

1226 GMT: Syria. Today's news has been dominated by the defection of a Syrian military jet fighter crew to Jordan. This is the first defection of its kind in Syria, and opens an interesting chapter to the international response to this crisis. So far, Syrian military defectors have mostly joined the Free Syrian Army or simply deserted and vanished into Syrian society. Now, however, the Jordanian government has a Syrian jet fighter and 2 pilots who want political asylum, which means that the Jordanian government, and the international community, is somewhat forced to recognize the desertion, and the dire situation inside Syria.

According to Reuters (via The Guardian), it also raises problems for the Jordanian government about its own security concerns:

A Jordanian security source said the pilot flew from al-Dumair military airport northeast of Damascus and landed at the at King Hussein Airbase at 11 am. (9am BST).

A Jordanian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the defection as "difficult to handle", referring to Amman's nervousness over possible a Syrian military reaction after months of border tension between the two countries, ignited by thousands of Syrians fleeing a crackdown on the revolt to Jordan.

The Guardian also notes that the planes landed in Al Mafraq, Jordan, just south of Syria's southern city of Daraa. Looking at the interactive map we made yesterday, however, we'd note that this means the plane was flying near an area that faced large-scale battles yesterday, fueling speculation that the pilots were asked to conduct bombing raids against civilian populations, a mission that was the last straw.

View Syria - 2012 June 20 - EA Worldview in a larger map

James Miller takes over today's live coverage from Scott Lucas.

0905 GMT: Yemen. US officials have told the Los Angeles Times that the Pentagon is making plans to send US military aircraft for the first time into Yemen to help move Government troops and supplies in the campaign against insurgents.

"Senior US commanders" have a4rgued for the support for a Government offensive that began last month to retake areas in the south held by the Ansar al-Sharia fighters.

It appears the officials talking to the Times are cautious and even opposed to the initiative. One said:

This wasn't an American idea. It was a Yemeni idea and one worth considering given our common fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," said a U.S. official, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan is not public. "Nothing's been decided, and it may take some time before the Yemenis themselves sort out whether they need this kind of support or not.

Other official emphasised that the plan does not have final White House approval and has prompted concern in the White House, the State Department and even within the Pentagon.

0835 GMT: Syria. The Brown Moses Blog takes note of a clip of a Free Syrian Army battalion:

This video claims to show Colonel Ahmed Hijazi visiting troops in Idlib. Who is Colonel Ahemd Hijazi? Well, according to the Institute for the Study of War report, "Syria's Armed Opposition", he's the Deputy Commander of the Free Syrian Army and is based in Turkey.

0625 GMT: Egypt. The Electoral Commission has delayed today's announcement of a victor in the Presidential run-off between the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmad Shafiq, the last Prime Minister in the Mubarak regime.

The Commission said the announcement was postponed because a panel of judges is considering about 400 complaints of voting fraud submitted by both campaigns. It did not say when a declaration would be made.

Thousands of people from the Muslim Brotherhood and secular groups camped out Wednesday night in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest developments and the rule of the military.

0525 GMT: Syria. One headline on Wednesday was the call by the Red Cross and Red Crescent on both regime forces and insurgents to allow them to evacuate civilians from Homs. The agencies said the two sides had agreed to a pause in fighting but this "must be in place before any evacuation begins". There was scant evidence of this yesterday, as shelling of areas of Homs and of nearby towns like Rastan continued. 

And this was true beyond the headline case of Homs. Amid clashes in Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, there was a steady bombardment. In Douma, the assault has lasted for several days, with reports on Wednesday of killings by "shabiha" militia. In Daraa Province, there were reports and video of attacks by assault helicopters.

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria reports that 66 people died in violence yesterday, including 24 in Hama and 17 in the Damascus suburbs.