Syrian Eyewitness Says 300 Killed in Hama

By Jack Phillips
August 5, 2011

A near-week-long tank attack in the restive Syrian city of Hama has left hundreds dead, according to locals on Friday.

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) quoted an eyewitness named Mohammad as saying the number of those killed has “surpassed 300“ but have likely “reached 400 already.”

The Syrian regime has deployed a large number of tank battalions to Hama, a city known has a hub for opposition activists, which have launched attacks on civilians.

To make matters worse, the eyewitness said locals “have no bread, no medicine, no blood,” according to the LCC website.

“I carried more than 27 bodies for soldiers, but I cannot even count the wounded,” the witness said, adding that many of the hundreds killed were buried in Alqusoor park.

Mohammad said that numerous people who were injured due to tank shelling bled to death as there is no blood transfusions available at the hospitals in Hama. Some people even died after a “shot in the leg,” as there is no blood available.

He added that the government cut electricity throughout the city, forcing hospitals to operate under duress. The second floor of the al-Rayyes Maternity Hospital, which was used to treat wounded, was burned due to tank fire and several doctors were arrested.

People in Hama “are trying to get medicines from pharmacies outside the city because those inside have been sabotaged,” he said.

In Syria, the government has cut telephone and Internet lines, making it difficult to relay information to the outside. A number of foreign journalists have also been detained and deported out of the country.

“We are now desperately looking for the basic supplies like fever medicines for children,” he added.

Mohammad said he could spot at least 15 tanks occupying Al-Asi square and another six tanks in areas nearby. Meanwhile, army snipers are positioned on the roofs of buildings including the police station.

“Those snipers are professionals and definitely not Syrian,” he said, citing video footage and photos taken of them.

“Tanks and snipers are ordered to shoot anyone that moves in front of them. Even animals have been shot for fun,” he added.

A number of government buildings, like the financial administration center, a justice office, and homes have been invaded or burnt, he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday said that more than 2,000 people have been killed during the Syrian government’s five-month-long crackdown in response to mass protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/syrian-eyewitness-says-300-killed-in-hama-60020.html.