Al-Rastan
| Al-Rastan الرستن |
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 Al-Rastan
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| Coordinates: 34°55′N 36°44′E / 34.917°N 36.733°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Homs Governorate |
| District | Al-Rastan District |
| Elevation | 430 m (1,411 ft) |
| Population (2008 est.) | |
| • Total | 61,176 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 (UTC) |
Al-Rastan (Arabic: الرستن) is one of the largest cites in the Homs Governorate and is situated 20 kilometers (12 mi) north of the capital city of Homs and 22 kilometers (14 mi) from Hama. It is in the centre of Syria. Al-Rastan has one of the oldest dams which can contain 225 million m³ of Orontes River river.[1] It is the site of the ancient Arethusa.
Al Rastan was the site of sustained bombardment by Syrian government troops during the 2011 Syrian uprising,[2]Witnesses said that troops, backed by tanks and helicopters, moved into Rastan on 27 September after hitting the town overnight with heavy gunfire. A lieutenant who defected to the Free Syrian Army told Al Jazeera by satellite phone that 400 tanks had moved into Rastan.[3] The state run news agency, SANA, said life was back to normal in Rastan on 2 October after five days of intense fighting between the military and forces opposed to President Bashar Assad.[4] An activist called Rami Abdul-Rahman told Associated Press that Syrian military retook Rastan after army defectors pulled out of the town. [5] At least 27 people were said to have been killed in battle,[6] At least 7 of the dead were Syrian soldiers and police,[7]and 10 were army defectors.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ "FAO.org". http://www.fao.org/. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
- ^ "BBC News - Syria: Attack on central town or Rastan 'kills 15'". 2011-06-02. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13628776. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
- ^ http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/09/201192772414155988.html
- ^ http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/16385-syria-trumpets-government-capture-of-rastan
- ^ http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=98524
- ^ "Crackdown in Rastan, Syria (1:16)". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/10/06/crackdown-in-rastan-syria?videoId=222304800.
- ^ "Syria unrest: Heavy clashes erupt in Homs province". BBC News. 2011-09-30. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15121876.
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/syria-security-forces-enter-rastan-as-army-defector-clashes-continue-1.387486
Coordinates: 34°55′N 36°44′E / 34.917°N 36.733°E
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