NICOSIA - At least 25 people were killed when thousands of troops backed by heavy armour pounded Syria's southern flashpoint town of Daraa on Monday,
an activist told AFP by telephone.The militant, Abdullah Abazid, told AFP Syrian forces were bombarding Daraa with heavy artillery and that "at least 25 martyrs have fallen." "There are still bodies sprawled on the streets," he said as loud explosions and shooting could be heard in the background. "They are pounding the town with heavy artillery and machine guns," Abazid said, adding that snipers posted on rooftops were also shooting. Rights activists said a 3,000-strong military force swarmed into Daraa in the early hours of Monday, with tanks taking up positions in the town centre and snipers deploying on rooftops. A witness had earlier reported at least five bodies in a car that had been raked by gunfire. "We saw with our own eyes, they were in a car that was riddled with bullets," the witness said, adding that he was on a rooftop and could hear intense gunfire reverberating across the town. "The minarets of the mosques are appealing for help. The security forces are entering houses. There is a curfew and they fire on those who leave their homes. They even shot at water tanks on roofs to deprive people of water." AFP
