Syrian Forces Attack Hama

A devastating blow killed at least 150 people in the harshest crackdown this year.

Syrian military and security forces launched a devastating attack on the city of Hama Sunday and Monday just at the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Bashar al-Assad’s troops entered the city with tanks and armored vehicles as people returned from prayers. At least 150 people were killed as security forces tried to quash anti-government protests. The Syrian government reported through its state news agency that army units were simply fighting insurgents that were terrorizing the city, an account contradicted by international media and everyone else in the city. Residents of Hama, who are believed to be largely unarmed, are no strangers to violence in the city where Assad’s father Hafez launched a military attack in 1982 that killed over 10,000 people. The UN Security Council is expected to meet later today to discuss the assault.