Siege of Syrian Port Continues for Fourth Day

Dozens have been killed in the coastal city of Latakia as Palestinian refugees flee from camps.

The siege of Latakia continues for its fourth straight day today, with Syrian government forces having claimed the lives of at least 35 civilians in the coastal city. Gunboats have been firing from the Mediterranean Sea while forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling the city since Saturday, and have apparently targeted poor neighbourhoods, including one that hosts a Palestinian refugee camp. As many as 5,000 Palestinian refugees have fled the city since Saturday to seek refuge elsewhere. Assad's crackdown has killed more than 1,800 citizens and detained, imprisoned, or tortured thousands more. Just yesterday, reports suggest, thousands of Syrians were rounded up by the army and taken to a stadium in Latakia where they had their cellphones and identification taken away. Eyewitnesses say they believe they were taken to the stadium so that the military could lay waste to their homes.