False resignation of Syrian ambassador to France amid calls for a UN resolution

Military action in Jisr al-Shaghour continues

The private Syrian daily Al-Watan reported that the Syrian army is conducting “military action” in Jisr al-Shaghour against “armed organisations”. The newspaper says that “members of terrorist groups used government cars and uniforms to commit their killing” and said that they “attacked security centres, neighbourhoods and houses and used rooftops to shoot at citizens and security forces”. Syrian TV aired amateur videos depicting the alleged gangs vandalising private property.

While SANA reports that 120 security forces had been killed, human rights organizations said 59 civilians had been confirmed killed and that they expect the total number killed to be more than 100. The Guardian reported that tanks had entered the city, which is now largely abandoned as residents flee to nearby Turkey.

Clashes in Yarmouk Palestinian camp

Gunmen from a pro-Syrian Palestinian organisation shot and killed as many as 14 people during a protest in Yarmouk, WAFA, the Palestinian news agency reported.

Fighters from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, clashed with mourners there after funerals for Palestinian protesters who were killed on Sunday at the border between Syria and the Israeli-held Golan Heights, the New York Times reported.

Mourners had accused the organisation of exploiting Palestinians by encouraging them to demonstrate at the Golan Heights, Reuters reported.

False resignation of Syrian ambassador to France amid calls for a UN resolution

Britain and France are requesting that the UN Security Council issue a resolution condemning the Syrian government for its treatment of protestors.

Meanwhile, two television channels aired contradictory audio comments on Tuesday from women who claimed to be the Syrian ambassador to Paris Lamia Chakkour. The first, aired on France 24, said she was resigning from her post. Later, Al-Arabiya aired audio from a different woman saying that she was Chakkour, the previous announcement was a hoax, and that she had not in fact resigned.

“I am so irritated with this false news which appeared on some Arab and foreign channels…It is part of the tendentious misleading propaganda which aims at one thing, that is to undermine Syria’s credibility,” she said in a phone call with Syrian TV.

Government cancels “security prior approvals”

The Syrian government has canceled requirements that citizens receive security checks and approvals for administrative procedures, such as marriages or purchases of homes, according to Tishreen newspaper.

It said the “decision of the Council of Ministers comeswithin the framework of steps aimed at simplifying administrative procedures, facilitating citizens’ issues, addressing theirproblems, completing their transactions easily, reducing centralisation and expanding the transfer of powers to speed up and improve the mechanism of public decision-making.”