‘Bloodiest Day’ in Syrian conflict leaves over 300 dead
More than 305 people were killed across Syria on Wednesday, making it the bloodiest day of the 18-month revolt, a human rights group said.
World leaders are meeting at the United Nations in New York, but without any sign of consensus on how to bring the violence to an end.
David Cameron, the prime minister, accused Russia and China of having a “terrible stain” of the blood of children on their hands for blocking resolutions at the security council.
He had the support of Egypt’s new president, Mohammed Morsi, who urged a stronger sanctions regime on Syria.
One of the activists groups that compiles casualty figures in Syria claim yesterday’s death toll of 343 was the third highest it recorded.
An email from the Syrian Revolution Martyr Database points out that its tally hit 400 people killed on 4 February and 434 people on 25 August.
A table of its daily tally of killings available here.
Syrian troops crossed into Lebanon this morning and destroyed a house belonging to Mohammed Akil al-Radi in the Qaa region of the Bekaa, the Lebanese National News Agency reports.
The agency’s correspondent also reported of heavy machine gun fire on this region from the Syrian side.
The UN’s refugee agency has almost quadrupled its estimate for the number of people expected to flee the violence in Syria, Reuters reports
The number of refugees fleeing Syria could reach 700,000 by the end of the year, the UN refugee agency said, far surpassing its previous forecast of 185,000 reached in August.
About 294,000 Syrian refugees fleeing 18 months of conflict in their homeland have already crossed into four neighboring countries – Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey – or await registration there, it said.
“This plan provides for up to 700,000,” Panos Moumtzis, regional refugee coordinator for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, told a news briefing.