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13 FRENCH OFFICERS DETAINED IN SYRIA - SOURCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 5, 2012 - 17:05 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - 13 French officers are being held by Syrian
authorities in Syria, sources have confirmed, according to The
Daily Star.
The group is in custody in the central city of Homs, a Damascus-based
pro-Syrian Palestinian source in Beirut said.
Sources said the group is being held in a field hospital in the city.
It was not clear why the officers were in Syria, when they had arrived
or whether they were part of a larger contingent in the city.
Strategic Homs was targeted in a 26-day shelling bombardment by the
Syrian Army, which overran the city where anti-Assad protests and
Free Syrian Army operations have been focused.
French journalist Remi Ochlick and American Marie Colvin were killed
in one shelling attack on a makeshift media center on Feb 22. French
reporters Edith Bouvier, who was wounded in the attack, and William
Daniels were among four journalists subsequently holed-up in the
neighborhood for one week, before being smuggled to Lebanon.
French Ambassador Eric Chevallier returned to Damascus last week to
try to get Bouvier and Daniels out of Syria, after being recalled to
Paris two weeks earlier over the Syrian conflict.
As assaults on Homs continued Friday, France said it was shutting
its embassy.
A French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said there was "no confirmation"
of French armed forces being held in Syria.
Damascus has not commented on the presence of French troops on
their soil.
Sources said Paris and Damascus were working to reach an agreement
on what to do with the officers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 5, 2012 - 17:05 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - 13 French officers are being held by Syrian
authorities in Syria, sources have confirmed, according to The
Daily Star.
The group is in custody in the central city of Homs, a Damascus-based
pro-Syrian Palestinian source in Beirut said.
Sources said the group is being held in a field hospital in the city.
It was not clear why the officers were in Syria, when they had arrived
or whether they were part of a larger contingent in the city.
Strategic Homs was targeted in a 26-day shelling bombardment by the
Syrian Army, which overran the city where anti-Assad protests and
Free Syrian Army operations have been focused.
French journalist Remi Ochlick and American Marie Colvin were killed
in one shelling attack on a makeshift media center on Feb 22. French
reporters Edith Bouvier, who was wounded in the attack, and William
Daniels were among four journalists subsequently holed-up in the
neighborhood for one week, before being smuggled to Lebanon.
French Ambassador Eric Chevallier returned to Damascus last week to
try to get Bouvier and Daniels out of Syria, after being recalled to
Paris two weeks earlier over the Syrian conflict.
As assaults on Homs continued Friday, France said it was shutting
its embassy.
A French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said there was "no confirmation"
of French armed forces being held in Syria.
Damascus has not commented on the presence of French troops on
their soil.
Sources said Paris and Damascus were working to reach an agreement
on what to do with the officers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress