Syria Death Toll Tops 150,000
The Guardian reports that activists have said the death toll in Syria’s war, including civilians and fighters from both sides, has climbed over 150,000 in just over three years.
“The UK-based [Syrian] Observatory [for Human Rights], which monitors violence in Syria through a network of activists and medical or security sources, said the real toll was likely to be significantly higher at about 220,000 deaths. Efforts to end the conflict by bringing together representatives of Assad’s government and the opposition have so far failed. The United Nations peace mediator for Syria said last week that talks were unlikely to resume soon.
“The last U.N. figures, released in July 2013, put the death toll at at least 100,000, but it said in January it would stop updating the toll as conditions on the ground made it impossible to make accurate estimates.”
Lebanon Army Tries to Halt Syria-Related Clashes
The AP, citing Lebanon’s state-run news agency, reports that the Lebanese army “has stepped up operations in the northern city of Tripoli to try to halt clashes linked to Syria’s civil war. National News Agency says troops in armored personnel carriers have rolled into the city on Tuesday morning, setting up military points and conducting arrest raids.
“The deployment is the most serious so far and was authorized by the new national unity government. That endorsement gives troops the political backing to arrest powerful Tripoli gunmen.”
Sectarian clashes are on the rise in Tripoli as Syrian refugees continue to flood across the border, with many Lebanese fearing that they will spread to the rest of the country if left unchecked. Resentment towards Syrians in the eastern border region is also increasing, as resources are strained and clashes erupt across the sectarian divide.
Jihadis in Syria Increasingly Turning to Social Media
Buzzfeed profiles Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Moheisini, the jihadist who uses Twitter “to publicize his exploits, seek recruits and funding, and, at least once, to launch an ill-fated rebel peace initiative.” Extremist groups in the country are increasingly turning to social media, with al-Moheisini at the forefront.
“Popular Saudi cleric and promoter of jihad in Syria Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Moheisini has over 295,000 followers on Twitter and until the afternoon of March 7 — hours after BuzzFeed first contacted Twitter regarding Moheisini’s account — he had a verified blue check next to his name,” it reports.
“Part of Moheisini’s appeal, analysts say, is that he makes jihad in Syria appear heroic online for those watching from abroad. On March 5, he posted a video of himself with Chechen rebels in Aleppo after the fighters attacked a hospital. He was injured in the Aleppo fighting — exactly how is unclear — but nonetheless posed with a gun for his YouTube channel before leaving.”
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