Syrian violence claims 27 dead in run-up to truce

By Mariam Karouny and Douglas

Hamilton

BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least 27 Syrian soldiers, rebels and civilians were killed in violence on

Friday, opposition activists said, four days before a troop pullback agreed by President Bashar al-Assad as part of a

U.N.-backed peace plan.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) said it had met a delegation from peace envoy Kofi Annan this week and

confirmed its fighters would stop shooting if Assad withdraws his tanks and troops to barracks before a ceasefire deadline

next Thursday.

“Talks were held and the FSA said if the regime commits to the plan and withdraws from the cities and

returns to its original barracks then we are committed to the plan,” Colonel Riad al-Asaad told Reuters. He declined to give

further details.

The plan calls for a troop withdrawal by April 10 and a ceasefire by April 12. Assad told Annan two

weeks ago he had accepted the terms. The Annan plan does not stipulate a withdrawal to barracks. It says the army must “begin

pullback of military concentrations in and around population centres”.

But on Friday at the United Nations,

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sharply criticized the Syrian government for the persistent attacks on civilians and demanded

it keep its pledge to halt all military operations.

He suggested the latest killings were tantamount to a violation of

U.N. Security Council demands that Damascus move toward a ceasefire.

“The 10 April timeline to fulfil the

Government’s implementation of its (ceasefire and troop withdrawal) commitments, as endorsed by the Security Council, is not

an excuse for continued killing,” the statement from Ban’s press office said.

“The Syrian authorities remain fully

accountable for grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Ban’s statement said. “These must stop

at once.”

The towns of Anadan and Hraytan north of Aleppo and the countryside around Syria’s second city have endured

days of clashes and bombardment, prompting 3,000 civilians to pour across the Turkish border on Friday alone – about 10 times

the daily number before Assad accepted Annan’s plan 10 days ago.

BAATH PARTY ANNIVERSARY

The Syrian leader is

fighting a popular uprising, which he blames on foreign-backed “terrorists”, that has spawned an armed insurgency in response

to violent repression of protests.

While many in Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority back the revolt, especially in

provincial areas, Assad retains support from his own minority Alawite sect and other minorities fearful that his overthrow

would lead to civil war or Islamist rule.

In Damascus, thousands of flag-waving Assad supporters marked the founding

in 1947 of Syria’s ruling Baath Party.

The bloodletting of the past week or so does not bode well for implementation

of Annan’s ceasefire plan.

This requires Assad to “begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population

centres” by Tuesday.

Rebel Free Syrian Army commander Colonel Riad al-Asaad said his men would cease fire, provided

“the regime … withdraws from the cities and returns to its original barracks”.

Syria has said the plan does not

apply to armed police, who have played a significant role in battling the uprising in which security forces have killed more

than 9,000 people, according to U.N. estimate. Syria says its opponents have killed more than 2,500 troops and police since

the unrest began in March 2011.

Annan’s plan does not stipulate a complete army withdrawal to barracks or mention

police.

Satellite pictures published by U.S. ambassador Robert Ford showed Syrian artillery apparently still poised to

target built-up areas and tanks being moved from one place to another.

“This is not the reduction in offensive Syrian

government security operations that all agree must be the first step for the Annan initiative to succeed,” Ford said in

Washington.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanded that the government halt attacks on civilians and keep its

promises.

“The 10 April timeline … is not an excuse for continued killing,” he said on Friday. “The Syrian

authorities remain fully accountable for grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. These must stop

at once.”

(Writing by Douglas Hamilton; Editing by Alistair Lyon)