A car bomb targeted an Alawite dominated neighborhood in the northern Damascus and killed at least nine people and left many more injured. The Syrian Observatory from Human rights said on Friday, Jan. 04, that the condition of several wounded are also critical and the death toll may rise.
State-run News Agency, SANA, labeled the attack as terroristic that had targeted a petrol station near a hospital.
A day before, on Thursday, in sporadic gun firings and bombings around 160 people, including 72 civilians lost lives. these horrific reports go on air after an accurate investigation made by the United Nations put the death of 21-month long uprising as more than 60,000 people while previously rebels were putting number around 45 thousand and foreign news agencies assuming only 40,000.
The anti-Syrian government propaganda is huge and fuels the concept that the government is increasingly losing ground and it is breathing its last. But some spectacular military maneuver like that of last week of retaking the control of Der Balaba, a neighborhood in Homs the power base of rebellions show that Damascus would not give up this soon.
The horrifying problem is that regional as well as international community is divided on the issue.
While rebellions have the strategic support of western countries and Sunni Arab nations, but Assad's regime remains as redline for foreign policy of Tehran.
At the international level, China and Russia still support and prevent any backbreaking resolution against the regime. However, there are reports that the confidence of Russia, a key supporter of President Assad's regime, is waning watching the successive advance of Syrian rebels towards the heart of Damascus which was seen as impenetrable stronghold of the regime.
It sent warships last month to the Mediterranean to prepare a potential evacuation of its citizens from the country which show that Moscow officials have reached to conclusion that their ally President Assad would not able to deal with spiraling pressure and dilemma of rebels.
When the uprising started 21 months ago, it got the global attention and nations voiced support to demonstrators.
As well, the time was ripe and much exposed to change, because the wave of the so-called spring was tough enough to challenge the pillars of all regional authoritarian regimes. From the very start, the regime responded with clenched fist and branded them as terrorists. The regime showed no flexibility against demonstrators and used all its force to suppress them.
The situation became gruesomely dangerous when the international community failed to take a joint front against Damascus. Drafts prepared mostly European countries for tougher action which were vetoed in the United Nations Security Council by China and Russia which feared about the consequences. Both countries have continued their support and banned the approval of any tough resolution against the country during last 21 months of civil uprising.
The regional rivalry among countries is also something that cannot be neglected assessing the ongoing situation in Syria. Tehran has been supporting President since the very start of civil uprising. The supreme leader who is the ultimate decision maker in the country, Mr. Ayatollah Ali Khamenae often openly voiced out support for Damascus regime while other regimes reacted similarly after the outbreak of uprising. While insisting that Arab countries are affected by more than 30-years old Islamic revolution in Iran, he links civil unrest in Syria to foreign intervention.
Therefore, the so-called proxy war and the dominant presence of Allawites, a minor group that can hardly be branded as part of Shiite group, have further complicated the situation.
According to the United Nations reports, around 9000 people are killed since the start of uprising more than a year ago, and around 800 people killed in period after ceasefire accord mediated by joint Arab-UN representatives. The ceasefire has not helped least to peace and instability. With the presence of Arab monitoring mission, available reports denote severe clashes between minor armed opposition and security forces.
Seemingly, all stakeholders are tittering up and down to find a solution to the deadlock but there is nothing to count on much. But this is Syrian people who ultimately shoulder all the burdens of continuous instability and unrest. The anti-Assad opposition has posted significant military and diplomatic gains in recent weeks, capturing a series of army installations across Syria and securing formal recognition from Western and Arab states for its new coalition.
Assad's pivotal allies have largely stood behind him. But Russia, his main arms supplier, appeared to waver this week with contradictory statements repeating opposition to Assad stepping down and airing concerns about a possible rebel victory.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted unnamed naval sources on Tuesday as saying that two assault ships, a tanker and an escort vessel had left a Baltic port for the Mediterranean Sea, where Russia has a port in Syria's coastal city of Tartus.
"They are heading to the Syrian coast to assist in a possible evacuation of Russian citizens ... Preparations for the deployment were carried out in a hurry and were heavily classified," the Russian agency quoted the source as saying.
Considering so, after recognition of rebel groups, the state of Syrian government got weakened but Jihad type of war is worrying for their supporters too. It is obvious the main purpose of many nations have become the outstation of Assad regime not necessarily for what uprising started 21 months ago, democracy and economic reforms. I think Syrian should commit the mistake as we did.
USSR was kicked out what ultimately left for us were weapons which easily Jihadi groups pointed towards one another. Syrian should consider what will happen if Assad steps down? Will they able to form a national government or will sectarianism change the country to a ground of civil war?