Syria says 2,000 security forces killed
Syrian soldiers raise their weapons while holding a picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as they leave the eastern city of Deir Zor following a 10-day military operation on August 16, 2011.
The Syrian government sent a letter to the UN on Thursday to dispute the organization’s reports alleging that President Bashar al-Assad’s security forces are responsible for the violent crackdowns against protesters.
In the letter, Syria continued to blame the violence against protesters on armed gangs involved in a foreign conspiracy to topple Assad and his regime.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported more than 2,000 security forces have died during the nine-month-old government uprising the same day the letter was sent to the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council.
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The Syrian government considers the UN’s condemning reports “politicized, non-professional, selective and non-objective,” according to SANA.
More than 5,000 Syrians have been killed by government security forces, according to the latest figures provided by the UN. The continued government crackdowns have sparked criticism from UN officials and the rest of the international community.
Syria’s continued denial of being responsible for the bloodshed comes as Arab League officials traveled to the conflict-ridden nation Thursday to establish a peace-plan to end further violence.
The League is planning to deploy 500 observers to Syria, the Associated Press reported. "We will carry out some necessary preparations to receive the mission on the ground including housing, transportation and communications and security," Sameer Seif el-Yazal, the assistant Arab League secretary general leading in charge of the monitoring mission told reporters in Cairo before leaving for Damascus.
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"The Syrian regime has exploited signing the Arab League initiative to escalate the brutal military campaign against revolting towns and cities," said Burhan Ghalioun, leader of the oppositional Syrian National Council.
More than 200 Syrians, mostly unarmed civilians, were killed by security forces in a recent two-day violence, causing an uproar by human rights groups and the international community.