Timeline of the Syrian civil war (January–April 2012)

Main article: 2011–2012 Syrian uprising

For a timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising from 26 January to April 2011, see Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (January–April 2011)

For a timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising from May to August 2011, see Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (May–August 2011)

For a timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising from September to December 2011, see Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (September–December 2011)

2011–2012 Syrian uprising
Part of the Arab Spring
Date	26 January 2011 (2011-01-26) – ongoing
Location	Syria
Caused by	Lack of effective constitution, government corruption.
Goals	Ending the state of emergency, regime change, political freedom
Methods	Demonstrations, army defections, self-immolations, hunger strikes
Status	Ongoing

The following is a timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising from January 2012 onward, during which time the spate of protests that began in January 2011 lasted into another calendar year.

Timeline

January–December 2011

Main articles: Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (January–April 2011), Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (May–August 2011), and Timeline of the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising (September–December 2011)

January 2012

1 January

Multiple reports on Twitter claimed that Syrians in several restive neighborhoods and cities, including Midan in central Damascus, Baba Amr in Homs, and Idlib city, were marching in New Year's Day protests against the regime in the early morning, shortly after midnight. The opposition Local Co-ordinating Committees announced it had confirmed 5,862 deaths in the Syrian uprising during 2011, including 287 prisoners allegedly tortured to death. The LCC also announced the first confirmed death from the uprising in 2012, a wounded person who died due to insufficient blood plasma supply at a hospital. That death toll rose to eight, several of them fatalities from Syrian security forces firing on protesters in the Damascene suburb of Daria, the LCC reported near the end of the day.

Neoconservative commentator Nick Cohen, writing for the British newspaper The Guardian, said that the Western world should in intervene militarily to oust President Bashar al-Assad and stop the Syrian Army from committing further human rights violations. The editorial echoed opposition claims that interrogators in Aleppo had invented a new type of torture wherein detainees are forced to stand on a heated metal plate until they confess or else collapse from extensive damage to their feet.

The Arab Parliament, a consultative pan-Arab body created by the Arab League, called for the withdrawal of the supranational organization's observers from Syria. Ali El-Salem El-Dekbas, the Speaker of the Parliament, said the observers were doing no good and it was a disgrace to keep them in Syria with the crackdown ongoing. "The mission of the Arab League team has missed its aim of stopping the killing of children and ensuring the withdrawal of troops from the Syrian streets, giving the Syrian regime a cover to commit inhumane acts under the noses of the Arab League observers," Dekbas said in a statement.

Assad insider and Syrian security officer Colonel Hafez Makhlouf's plans to visit Switzerland were waylaid when the Swiss Federal Tribunal ruled that Makhlouf should not be granted a visa. Makhlouf had reportedly planned to consult with an attorney in Switzerland on a bid to overturn international sanctions freezing his assets and restricting his travel.

According to Iranian state news agency PressTV, a poll conducted by The Doha Debates showed that 55% of Syrian respondents did not want Assad to resign.

2 January

Nabil Elaraby, secretary-general of the Arab League, defended the observer mission after the Arab Parliament's call for its withdrawal. Elaraby claimed that, as a result of the monitors' presence placing pressure on the Syrian government to comply with the Arab peace initiative, Syrian Army (SA) tanks had been withdrawn from cities, almost 3,500 detainees had been released, and humanitarian aid had been delivered to formerly besieged cities. However, contradicting mission leader General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi's remarks on Newshour two days earlier, Elaraby acknowledged snipers remained in several areas and shooting was still ongoing, though it was hard for monitors to tell who was shooting and at whom. Opposition activists contested Elaraby's remarks, telling The Los Angeles Times that many tanks had not withdrawn and were being hidden within striking distance of city centers in restive areas. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told the Knesset that he judged Assad's remaining time in power could be measured in weeks.

The opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) said four were killed in Syria by security forces as of 9 am local time. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the state-run media outlet in Syria, said a school worker was killed by gunmen holding her hostage and a journalist died of wounds suffered in a shooting in Daraya, a Damascus suburb, some days earlier.

In northern Syria's Idlib Governorate, near the border with Turkey, the opposition Syrian Observatory For Human Rights (SOHR) said that, despite a self-imposed moratorium on offensive actions against the regime during the Arab League mission, Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters captured two military checkpoints and took several dozen soldiers prisoner, and clashed with security forces at a third, leaving an unspecified number of SA soldiers dead or wounded. The claim could not be immediately confirmed due to tight restrictions on foreign media in Syria.

3 January

According to the SOHR, at least 18 people were killed in Jassem during clashes between SA soldiers after loyalist troops allegedly fired on comrades who were attempting to defect. Security forces swept through the area, detaining more than 100, after the fighting. Witnesses said several were killed when security forces fired live ammunition into demonstrators massing in Hama.

According to SANA, a policeman was shot dead outside Homs National Hospital and another policeman was shot dead at al-Khudra market, Idlib. The Syrian government claimed "terrorists" destroyed a gas pipeline near Rastan, disrupting the electricity supply to parts of the country.

FSA leader Colonel Riad al-Asaad said the FSA may mount "a huge escalation of our operations" in coming days. However, some analysts cast aspersions on the claim, suggesting Asaad may be more a figurehead than a practical leader.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, the French head of state, accused Assad of committing "massacres" in Syria. His criticism was echoed by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who called on the Syrian government to allow the Arab League's monitors unrestricted access. In Cairo, the Arab League called an emergency meeting for 7 January to review the observer mission's work and discuss its future.

4 January

Syrian Defence Ministry official Mahmoud Sleiman Hajj Hamad defected to the opposition, The Guardian and other major news outlets reported. Hamad was the Head Inspector of the Syrian Ministry of Defence. He also held a press conference on Wednesday in Cairo to announce his defection. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Hamad, who was also an inspector at the monetary center for the interior ministry, denied government claims that the ongoing violence was caused by “terrorists” aided from abroad.

“We were analysing and seeing for ourselves that the regime's story about armed gangs going out and killing protesters was all lies," he said. "I confirm there are no armed gangs, they are all unarmed protesters.”

Hamad said the government has spent about $40m on loyalist militias to crush demonstrations since March, as security forces, at times backed by tanks, laid siege to protests hubs across the nation.

“While auditing, I found two billion Syrian pounds [$40m] paid out to the regime's paid thugs, and seen an increase in the spending of the intelligence and defense ministries for the purpose of paying thugs. We saw them preparing and heading out in their armored vehicles and buses toward the young protesters and killing them. It has been happening since the beginning of the protests.”

Hamad also said most government officials and employees want to defect but are afraid of the consequences.

"Syrian government officials live in a kind of prison...No one can go anywhere without being accompanied by a member of the security services," he added.

Hamad continued that he has seen proof that Iran and Iraq are aiding the Syrian government's crackdown. Hamad also praised the FSA.

Meanwhile, the LCC reported at least five deaths and numerous injuries it described as "serious" as a result of security forces' actions. The SNC announced a new official website at syriancouncil.org.

SANA reported that a gas pipeline and a bridge were bombed near al-Rastan. Mihajja Bridge in Daraa Countryside was also reportedly damaged by a bomb, which targeted a police patrol. The blast and gunfire that followed reportedly killed one policeman and wounded five. Meanwhile, a Baath Party worker was shot dead as he drove his car in Hama Countryside, SANA said.

5 January

Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani criticized the Arab League mission in Syria, saying after a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York City, "I said we must evaluate the types of mistakes it made and without a shadow of a doubt I see mistakes, even though we went in to observe, not to stop the violence." He said he had suggested to Ban that the UN could take a role in training Arab League personnel in how to monitor human rights situations in the future. Despite Sheikh Hamad's remarks, Reuters reported citing sources within Arab governments that the Arab League was likely to decide over the weekend to keep the observers in Syria. Meanwhile, SNC President Burhan Ghalioun suggested a military intervention in Syria would not need to be NATO-led and could be done on a more limited scale than in the Libyan civil war. Influential Iranian parliamentarian Alaeddin Boroujerdi took the opposite tack, accusing Turkey of threatening the "stability" of the region by criticizing the Syrian government and harboring the FSA and other political dissidents. Boroujerdi called for Ankara to modify its stance to be in line with Tehran's approach of rejecting all international criticism of Damascus' handling of the uprising.

In Syria itself, the government reported it had released 552 detainees "whose hands were not stained with blood". Kurdish media reported the death of a young Kurdish man in Harasta and three injuries to Kurds in Qamishlo, all allegedly at the hands of loyalist snipers. The accounts could not be independently confirmed.

According to SANA, a policeman and two bystanders were killed in a drive-by-shooting in Homs, while another two policemen were injured by an explosive device in al-Tarnabeh, Idlib province. Two rebels were allegedly killed when a bomb prematurely exploded in Idlib city industrial zone. Meanwhile, the mayor of al-Sina'a, al-Tadamon and Basatin Saleh district was shot dead outside his house in the city of Jableh, SANA reported.

6 January – "Friday of Victory from God"

Syrian state television reported that dozens of people died in a suicide bombing in the al-Midan quarter of Damascus (see January 2012 al-Midan bombing). The attack allegedly targeted a police bus, leaving 25 people dead and 46 wounded. The Syrian government immediately called the attack a "continuation of the terrorist acts targeting innocent civilians" and said it "reflects the criminal mentality of perpetrators and their antagonism towards moral heritage and national values", while Colonel Asaad and the SNC both issued statements accusing the government of staging the attack to sully the opposition's image and deter a planned protest in the area, one of the hubs of the uprising. Later in the day, SANA reported that an explosion caused by "terrorists" had severed an oil pipeline between Hama and Idlib governorates.

Meanwhile, according to Al Arabiya, an Arab League team of monitors withdrew from the Damascus suburb of Arbeen after loyalist forces shot at them as they toured the streets. CNN reported that the incident occurred when protesters surrounded the monitors, chanting slogans against the government, and security forces opened fire on them, endangering the observers.

A Syrian opposition member claimed that he learned from anonymous security forces in Aleppo that the Syrian government was planning an orchestrated bombing in Aleppo.

In Friday protests, activists said at least 35 were killed throughout Syria, including in the Kfar Souseh neighborhood of Damascus, according to a witness who said he saw security forces open fire on unarmed demonstrators. Major protests also took place in Aleppo, Idlib, Qamishli, Deir ez-Zor, Homs, and elsewhere in Damascus, among other parts of Syria. Three soldiers attempting to defect were shot dead in Rastan, according to the LCC.

According to SANA, men in military uniform launched a gun attack on Sur police station in Deraa Countryside, killing two policemen and wounding six. It also reported that a colonel and lieutenant were shot dead as they drove through Homs, that a policeman was shot dead in Idlib city, and that the mayor of al-Amqieh Municipality in Hama province was assassinated.

General Mustapha Ahmed el Sheick of the SA defected to join the FSA on 6 January; the highest-ranking defector so far.

7 January

Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleima of the Syrian Air Force logistics division defected along with at least 50 of his men, ordering his men to protect protesters in the city of Hama. "We are from the Army and we have defected because the government is killing civilian protesters. The Syrian Army attacked Hama with heavy weapons, air raids and heavy fire from tanks...We ask the Arab League observers to come visit areas affected by air raids and attacks so you can see the damage with your own eyes, and we ask you to send someone to uncover the three cemeteries in Hama filled with more than 460 corpses," Colonel Suleima said in a statement.

In Damascus, thousands of pro-government protesters gathered at a mosque for the funeral of 11 policemen the government said died in the previous day's bombing. Opposition activists accused the government of making fake television footage of the aftermath of the bombing, pointing to three clips they said were "mistakenly" aired by Syrian state TV. One shows what seems to be an injured man on the ground standing up just before the end of the clip. Another shows a man with a microphone (allegedly a reporter for Syrian state TV) placing "bags of vegetables" in the street to give the impression that some of the victims were civilians shopping in the nearby market. The third video shows a person putting police shields in one of the damaged vans.

8 January

More than a dozen people, including 11 soldiers, were killed in clashes between rebels and loyalists in Basr al-Harir, a town in southern Daraa Governorate, according to the SOHR. The LCC reported shelling and gunfire in Deir ez-Zor.

SANA reported that rebels fired at a police vehicle in the al-Khalidiyeh neighborhood of Homs, wounding 11 policemen. It also reported that another four policemen were wounded by gunfire near the National Hospital and that gunmen fired at a vehicle belonging to the Military Housing Establishment in Ashireh neighborhood, wounding the driver.

A chief police officer was stopped by gunmen while he was driving on the Harasta-Douma road. He was shot dead but his passenger was allowed to leave unharmed, SANA reported.

In Cairo, Arab foreign ministers met at the Arab League to discuss the monitoring mission in Syria and hear the first official report from Lieutenant General Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, its leader. The Arab League decided to extend their mission after having heard the first rapports of their observers. They called for an end to the violence by both the Syrian government and opposition.

9 January

Opposition activists said at least 21 people were killed in clashes throughout Syria. SOHR said most of the deaths were in the city of Homs and Idlib province.

10 January

Opposition activists said that security forces killed at least 31 protesters, most of them in the cities of Deir al-Zour and Homs.

SANA reported that rebels fired at a vehicle carrying Syrian soldiers in Rif Dimashq. It said that three soldiers (including a colonel) were killed and three were wounded.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad addressed a crowd at Damascus University in a speech. He said that he would remain in power because he felt he had the support of the people of Syria. He claimed that victory was near if Syrians had "courage". He blamed what he called "foreign conspiracies" for the unrest in Syria and said that restoring order can only be done by fighting "terrorists" with an iron fist. He denied that he gave orders to shoot protesters. He also announced that he plans a referendum in March for constitutional changes.

11 January

Violence

Opposition activists reported that 28 people were killed across Syria by security forces, 13 of them in Homs.

A French reporter for the channel France 2 news was killed by a mortar shell or rocket while on a government organized trip to a pro-government rally. The reporter was killed when he went to check on an explosion near the local hospital, only to be hit by an additional mortar shell or rocket upon arriving there. Eight civilians were also killed in the attack.

SANA reported that a military bus was struck by a roadside bomb and then fired upon in Ya'four, Rif Dimashq. It said that four soldiers were killed and eight wounded.

Other events

A former Arab League observer to Syria decried the organization's monitoring mission a "farce". Anwar Malek, an Algerian Arab League observer who was part of the monitoring team, told Al Jazeera that he resigned because of what he saw, and said that the mission was falling apart. "What I saw was a humanitarian disaster. The regime is not just committing one war crime, but a series of crimes against its people," he said. "The snipers are everywhere shooting at civilians. People are being kidnapped. Prisoners are being tortured and none were released". He said that security forces did not withdraw their tanks from the streets, but just hid them and then redeployed them after the observers left. Malek also said "The regime didn't meet any of our requests, in fact they were trying to deceive us and steer us away from what was really happening, towards insignificant things". He said that those who were supposedly freed and were shown on TV, were actually people who had been randomly grabbed off the street. "They were detained for four or five days in tough conditions and later released as if they had been real prisoners". Malek also said that he had seen snipers on top of buildings: "On one, there were even army officers in front of the building, while snipers were on the roof. Some on our team preferred to maintain good relations with the regime and denied that there were snipers". He said that Assad's government "has gained a lot of time that has helped it implement its plan. Therefore I've decided to withdraw from this mission". The head of the Arab League observer mission, Sudanese Lieutenant-General Mohammed Al Dabi, distanced himself from Malek's claims, saying that Malek did not leave his hotel room because of illness. This was later denied by Malek, who said that he is shown on many videos taken by activists, as well as Syrian state TV coverage that showed him walking the streets of Homs. He also accused Dabi of ignoring his requests to talk to him about his reasons for resigning.

The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Lynn Pascoe, said that, since the Arab League mission began, an estimated 400 people have been killed, an average of 40 a day, a rate much higher than before the mission began.

Israeli officials said that if Assad fell, Alawis might be forced to flee to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Tens of thousands turned out in a show of support for the government in Omeyad Square and were greeted by President Assad, who gave a short speech saying that his supporters would defeat what he called "a conspiracy against Syria".

The archbishop of Aleppo, Jean Clément Jeanbart, said that he was very worried that Christians would suffer as much as they did in Iraq if the regime fell. He said that he was in favor of giving Assad a chance and claimed that most Christians in Syria supported Assad.

12 January

Opposition activists reported that security forces killed 18 people, mostly in Homs and Idlib.

SANA reported that eight policemen were killed in an attack on their bus near Jbala crossroads, 5 km north of Khan Sheikhoun.

Al Jazeera reported the defection of Sheikh Abdul Jalil al-Saeed, said to be public relations director for Grand Cleric Ahmad Hassoun. Hassoun denied that al-Saeed was ever employed by the state and asserted that that no such position existed.

13 January – "Friday of Support for the Free Syrian Army"

Weekly Friday protests occurred, with tens of thousands protesting in Homs, Hama, Idlib, Aleppo and Damascus's suburbs. Protesters chanted in support of the Free Syrian Army as the Syrian National Council announced that it would begin to co-ordinate with the FSA. Opposition activists reported that security forces killed at least 13 people during the protests, including three children. They also reported that the Syrian Army entered the outskirts of Zabadani, a town 30 km outside Damascus, and cut its communications. It was claimed that that tanks were bombarding Zabadani and the nearby town of Madaya, but that government forces were meeting resistance from the FSA.

SANA reported that three Syrian Army soldiers were killed and three wounded in a gun attack on a "Morse Code service center" in al-Mrah, Rif Dimashq. It also reported that two policemen were shot dead and 12 wounded in Wadi al-Saei'h neighborhood of Homs, while a soldier was shot dead in a gun attack on a Syrian Army recruitment office in the city.

14 January

Opposition activists said that five civilians were killed by security forces throughout the country by noon.

SANA reported that a bomb planted on the railway between Mahmabil and Bishmaroun stations in Idlib derailed a train drawing 20 tankers loaded with 1000 tons of fuel. Some of the tankers caught fire and three of the train workers were injured. It also reported that saboteurs destroyed a high-voltage electricity pylon in Deir Ezzor desert.

The government of Qatar suggested that Arab League states should send in troops to end attack on civilians by Syrian government forces. An SNC official said Brigadier General Mostafa Ahmed al-Sheik, deputy commander of Syria's northern army, defected to Turkey two weeks prior.

15 January

Syrian security forces shot dead 27 people on Sunday across the country, most of them in the city of Homs and the northwestern province of Idlib, the LCC reported. Meanwhile, 10,000 people marched in the town of Zabadani, in Damascus province, where an Arab observer team has been deployed, calling for regime change, according to the SOHR. Several thousand demonstrated in the Idlib town of Maaret al-Numan, calling for regime change and the trial of Bashar al-Assad when they met an observer team there.

SANA reported that a bus carrying workers of an Idlib textile factory was struck by a roadside bomb on the road between Ariha and al-Mastouma. It said that six were killed and 16 injured. SOHR reported that five were killed in the roadside blast near Ariha, while the LCC said that ten were killed "when pro-regime forces targeted their bus". SANA also reported that a 20 kg bomb was defused in an ambulance belonging to Homs National Hospital, and that four people were injured by mortars in Ekrima neighborhood.

After a student protest at Aleppo University, security officers raided the campus, The Daily Telegraph reported.

16 January

Twelve people across the country were reportedly killed by Syrian security forces on 16 January.

SANA reported that five SA soldiers were killed and seven wounded in a rocket attack on a checkpoint near Sahnaya, Rif Dimashq. It also said that a brigadier general was shot dead in Ghotta, while a policeman and railway engineer were shot dead in Homs.

The regime appeared to suffer another high-profile military defection, with amateur video posted online showing a man dressed in the uniform of an army general displaying his identification card and declaring his support for the revolutionary movement at a rally festooned with pre-Ba'athist flags in Homs Governorate. A parliamentarian from Homs, Imad Ghalioun, gave an interview to Al Arabiya while visiting Cairo announcing that he was also defecting from the regime. He described Homs as "disaster-stricken" and said, "The Syrian people are living their worst period."

17 January

According to the LCC, at least 30 people were killed by security forces; 18 of them in Homs. It said that the dead included two children and four SA defectors.

Both SANA and the LCC reported four people were killed and seven wounded when a roadside bomb struck a minibus on the Idlib–Saraqeb road. SANA blamed "terrorists" while the LCC blamed government forces. SANA also reported two policemen were shot dead outside Idlib Central Prison and the bodies of three soldiers and a civilian contractor were found with bullet wounds at a graveyard in Ariha.

In Zabadani, where a military assault was underway over the weekend, anti-government insurgents and army troops reportedly reached an agreement to mutually withdraw armed fighters from the city's streets. The ceasefire also halted the tank bombardment of Zabadani, an opposition leader claimed. He said the withdrawal of regime forces from the city was set to begin on 18 January.

18 January

Anwar Malek, an Algerian ex-observer from the Arab League monitoring mission, said in an interview from his home in Paris that Syrian officials tried to intimidate him and other observers. He called for military aid to the rebels by the United States and other countries as the only way to resolve the conflict. A European Union spokesman said the supranational body was weighing new sanctions against the Syrian government. Reuters reported that Lebanese Druze politician Walid Jumblatt expressed concern during an interview in Beirut about a full-scale civil war in neighbouring Syria. Of Assad, Jumblatt said he was not listening to advice from former allies like Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, adding, "Up 'til now he has refused to listen to the rightful demands of the Syrian people for a new Syria."

The LCC said 21 people were killed by security forces during the day, including 13 in Homs. Meanwhile, SANA claimed 15 soldiers and policemen, including an army colonel, were killed in "recent" fighting.

19 January

The military withdrew from Zabadani to positions 8 km away, residents said, upholding their end of a deal brokered between army and opposition representatives. The Arab League's observation mandate officially expired, but an official in Cairo said observers would remain in Syria until at least 22 January, when Arab League ministers would meet to determine whether or not to extend the duration of the mission. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Treasury Department officials said they had proof that Iran was attempting to dodge an international embargo on exporting oil to Syria. An unnamed Iranian official quoted in the article insisted that Tehran is not bound to comply with the embargo or any sanctions against Syria. Leading Kurdish opposition figures said anti-government Kurdish activists and political dissents planned to unite and present their vision for a post-Assad Syria to Arab opposition members, citing distrust that Arabs would allow Kurdish autonomy in northeastern Syria if the government fell. Sources reported as many as 25 were killed in Syria throughout the day, Al Arabiya said.

20 January – "Friday for Revolutionary Detainees"

Weekly Friday protests occurred, with the largest protests occurring in Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs. Other protests occurred in Daraa, Deir Ezzor, Zabadani, Hama, and Latakia. Security forces prevented worshippers attending the Omari mosque in the southern town of Deraa. A security officer who had defected, was assassinated in Deraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Activists said at least 12 people were killed on Friday, including seven in Idlib.

French daily Le Figaro reported that FSA members mistakingly killed the French journalist Gilles Jacquier by firing a mortar round into a Syrian Army-controlled neighborhood of Homs, citing interviews with rebel leaders. The Free Syrian Army denied responsibility.

Ahmad el-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, urged "Arab rulers to take the necessary measures to halt bloodshed in Syria", the state news agency MENA quoted him as saying on Friday. NATO's most senior officer said on Thursday that the alliance was not planning or even "thinking" of intervening in Syria. Burhan Ghalioun, the leader of the opposition Syrian National Council, also headed to Cairo to lobby the Arab ministers to refer the observer mission's findings to the United Nations Security Council for tough action.

SANA reported that the chief warrant officer of Daraa was killed after being abducted by the FSA.

As many as 19 people were killed by shooting from Syrian security forces on Friday, Al Arabiya reported, citing Syrian activists.

21 January

According to the Local Coordination Committees, 60 unidentified corpses were found in the morgue of the hospital in Idlib. The corpses reportedly had signs of torture. The LCC said that security forces opened fire inside and outside the hospital as activists and residents found the bodies. A mass arrest campaign was reportedly underway in the area. Including the corpses in Idlib, the death toll for the day reportedly reached a total of 94 people, including 14 prisoners on a bus in Idlib, two people shot dead by security forces in Douma, one in Deir Ezzor, and three in Homs.

SANA reported that police vehicles were attacked with explosives at al-Mastouma. One of the vehicles was allegedly transporting prisoners. It said that 14 people were killed while 26 prisoners and at least six police were wounded. SANA also reported that security forces clashed with gunmen trying to enter Syria from Lebanon, near al-Msherfeh village. Three gunmen were reportedly killed.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the FSA had temporarily seized parts of the town of Douma, near Damascus, during the night. Local activists reported that the FSA built barricades and occupied the streets but eventually withdrew to their hideouts, "most likely because it could offer the regime an excuse to storm the area". However, the LCC denied that the FSA took control of Douma.

The United States announced it was preparing to shut down its embassy in Syria.

22 January

The Arab League held a meeting at which the representative of Saudi Arabia announced the kingdom would withdraw its funding and personnel from the observer mission, saying it had failed. The League also drafted a plan calling for Assad to relinquish power to Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa and form a national unity government modeled off that of the Republic of Yemen, to include opposition leaders and establish an independent commission of inquiry into the uprising and crackdown, similar to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the uprising in Bahrain, as well as reorganize the security forces with international assistance and prepare for free and fair parliamentary elections within three months of its formation. In the United States, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand introduced new legislation in the United States Senate to increase pressure on the Syrian government with further sanctions. Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said the Arab League planned to ask the UN Security Council to endorse the initiative.

After the body of a 14-year-old Lebanese boy killed the day before by security forces who stormed a fishing boat in Mediterranean waters disputed between Beirut and Damascus was returned to his family, mourners threw stones at Syrian soldiers along the international border, calling Assad "the enemy of God". According to news reports, the soldiers did not retaliate, and the mourners eventually dispersed. One of the boy's two uncles seized in the attack on the boat said after his release that he had been interrogated and beaten in custody on suspicion of being an arms smuggler.

Two Swiss journalists who were colleagues of Gilles Jacquier, the French reporter killed in Homs days earlier, said they blamed Syrian authorities for Jacquier's death. They claimed there were indications the "ambush" may have been planned in advance.

In Talfita, a village outside Damascus, three members of the SA, one anti-government militant and two civilians were killed in clashes, the SOHR claimed. Citing opposition sources in Douma, Reuters reported that the FSA was said to be in control of about two-thirds of the town's main streets, with off-and-on fighting continuing.

23 January

At least 22 civilians, five security forces and an SA defector were killed on 23 January, activists said. The LCC said security forces killed 23 people including two children, a rebel soldier and two who died under torture. It said that five people were killed in Daraa, six in Homs, eight in Idlib, two in Damascus, two in Hama, one in the north-western province of al-Hasakeh and another in Deir al-Zour.

SANA reported that 11 people were killed and three wounded when a bus was attacked with RPGs and gunfire in the Ashira neighborhood of Homs. An attack on two other minibuses at Homs Military Hospital reportedly killed a civil employee. SANA also reported a brigadier general and first lieutenant were shot dead in Talfita, two polcemen and a civil employee were shot dead on the Souran-Hama road, while a policeman was killed by a bomb in Atman.

The head of Arab League observers, Sudanese General Dabi, rejected criticism of his team's work and said that the mission had reduced the bloodshed in Syria. He also said that in some regions, the FSA attacked security forces, prompting them to return fire.

Syria rejected the previous day's Arab League resolution calling on the Syrian government to quit violence and establish a national unity government, calling it a "foreign conspiracy" that threatened Syria's "sovereignty".

24 January

Local Coordination Committees reported that the number of Syrian deaths on 24 January rose to 52, 39 of which were in Homs, including 18 deaths from the Syrian army's artillery shelling of two buildings in Bab Tadmur neighborhood. Also 5 were killed in Hama, 3 in Daraa and 2 in Idlib, and one death each in Damascus, Douma in Damascus's Suburbs, and Raqqa.

25 January

The Local Coordinating Committees in Syria stated that the number of those killed on 25 January had risen to 24, among them 6 soldiers from the Free Syrian Army, 2 children, and 2 women. In addition, 5 were killed in Damascus Suburbs, 4 in each of Homs and Hama, 3 in Idlib, 1 in Aleppo, and 1 in Daraa. The secretary general of the Syrian Red Crescent, a non profit medical service, was shot dead in Idlib. The Red Crescent commented that his was not the first time they were attacked, and that security forces had shot at them before.

26 January

The Arab League chief has reportedly said that a peace plan that aims to end Syria's political crisis will be submitted to the United Nations Security Council early next week. Nabil Elaraby, the secretary-general of the Arab League, told reporters in Cairo that the meeting with UN officials will be held on Monday in New York city.

Syrian state television reported that tens of thousands of Assad supporters showed their support in a rally held in Damascus. Various other pro Assad rallies happened across Syria.

At least 34 civilians, including ten children, were killed Thursday by security forces in Syria, according to Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. In addition, seven or eight army deserters were killed Thursday in clashes, including a colonel in Homs, the London-based organization. In Homs, government forces launched an offensive on Thursday night at the district of Karm al-Zeitoun, killing 26 civilians, including nine children, and leaving dozens injured.

In the city of Hama, where the Syrian army launched a major offensive Tuesday, four civilians were killed including a woman, 58 years old, who was shot dead by snipers, the source said. One was killed in the province of Idleb, and two more in the suburbs of Damascus. In the province of Deraa, a teenager was killed and three others injured.

By evening, the Local Coordination Committees in Syria reported that the death toll of civilians on 26 January reached 42. In addition to the 42 killed, the LCC reported that 23 corpses were later found in the Bab Qebli section of Hama. The corpses were handcuffed and shown signs of torture.

The centre of Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, was under the control of the Free Syrian Army during the night, with checkpoints set up on the outskirts and there were reports of gunfire and explosions in some areas.

27 January - "Friday of the Right to Protect Yourselves"

Opposition activists alleged 102 people were shot dead by Syrian security force across Syria, as Friday protests spread. The casualties included both protesters as well as defected soldiers. The death toll of 102 included the 23 corpses found overnight in Homs.

Anti-government protests occurred primarily in Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Daraa, and the Damascus suburbs. The cities of Hama and Homs also experienced mass protests, but were primarily under siege by the Syrian army. Since the 23 January, both Hama and Homs have been under intensive siege and occupation by the Syrian army, which wishes to take back neighborhoods in Hama and Homs recently controlled by the Free Syrian Army. Over the past week intensive clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the government's forces lead to the FSA's takeover of large proportions of Homs, Hama, and suburban Damascus, prompting retaliatory attacks by the Syrian army, which additionally lead to dozens of civilian casualties. the majority of Friday's casualties were in Homs.

Gen. Mustafa al-Dabi warned of an escalation of the conflict in recent days.

The FSA announced that the group had captured around 7 Iranian men, 5 of whom were alleged to be Revolutionary Guard members participating in the government crackdown (two others were civilians). A video was posted displaying the men and their alleged Iranian military identity cards, it was too blurry to read the cards, and shows one man, named Haidar Ali, pleading to Ali Khamenei to withdraw all Iranian military personnel from Syria. The FSA stated its intention to hold the men hostage until military operations against Homs cease and FSA member Lieutenant Colonel Hussein Harmoush is freed. Iran denied that they were soldiers, and instead said that they were the engineers who had been kidnapped in the previous weeks.

Defected Col. Hammoud estimated the FSA had gained control about 90% of the northern city of Idlib and just over half of Homs.

28 January

Local Coordination Committees of Syria reported number of 28 January's deaths rose to 50, among them three 3 children and one 1 woman., 19 people were killed in Homs, 6 in Hama, 7 in Damascus Suburbs (Saqba, Douma, Moadamieh, Arbeen, Zamalka, Baseemeh), 3 in Daraa, 2 each in Deir Ezzor and Idlib, and 1 in each of Damascus and Qonaitra, additional to 10 casualties of the defected soldiers. Deaths in Rankous and Ghouta were also reported, but the number is as of yet unknown.

The Arab league decided to suspend for the moment its mission because of the spike of violence in the recent days in the country. The secretary general also asked the head of the mission to ensure the security of observers. At the same time interior minister Mohamed Shaar said that Syria will continue to try to "cleanse" Syria of what he named outlaws.

By night, the LCC reported that the death toll for 28 January reached 98 people, including 20 unidentified corpses found in Hama's city hospital.

29 January

An estimated 2,000 troops backed by tanks attempted to retake rebellious Damascus suburbs, with a similar situation occurring in the mountain town of Rankous to the north. At least 19 people were reported killed, including fourteen civilians and five rebels during the government crackdown on the Damascus suburbs of Kfar, Batna, Saqba, Jisreen and Arbeen in what locals described as "urban warfare."

The LCC reported one of the bloodiest days of the uprising, with 62 people claimed dead across Syria. Of the dead, 19 were in Homs, 16 were in and around Damascus, and 15 were in Hama, the LCC said. At least 50 were injured by government forces' shelling of Damascus' eastern suburb of Ghotta, the LCC claimed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a roadside bomb destroyed a military vehicle near Idlib, killing 10 soldiers. It also reported a rebel soldier was killed near Zabadani. SANA said another roadside bomb near Damascus killed six soldiers and wounded six more. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said that he did not agree with the Arab League's decision to suspend its observing mission in Syria, claiming it had reduced violence and was a "useful instrument" in gauging the situation in the country. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, head of the United Nations, called for an end to the violence in Syria and said it was the government's responsibility to end the bloodshed.

After two days of clashes, oppositions and FSA sources confirmed that the Syrian army seized back the control of the eastern suburbs of Damascus from the rebels and started to make house to house arrests. SANA said 51 soldiers were killed in recent days of fighting.

Opposition activists claimed that close family members of Assad, including his wife, had tried to leave Damascus via plane, but had been intercepted by the Free Syrian Army and forced to return to government held areas of Damascus. The government refused to comment on the rumor.

30 January

On 30 January, the Syrian Army continued its offensive on previously rebel held area around Damascus. After seizing back the eastern suburbs the previous day, the army entered the city of Rankous after several days of clashes forcing the rebels to retreat and withdraw, according to the London based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On the night of 30 January, the fighting subsided as Syrian army extanded their control in Ghouta. An activist said that the FSA moved out of the suburbs and that the Syrian army arrested 200 opposition members in Hammourya. The opposition death toll in Damascus given by the activist was 19 civilians killed and 6 FSA soldiers killed.

The Free Syrian Army returned to Saqba, and began conducting hit and run attacks against the Syrian army.

Local Coordination Committees in Syria reported the number of people killed by the Syrian army on 30 January reached 100, including 8 children and a woman. 56 of the deaths were in Homs, 20 in Rastan, 15 in Daraa, 6 in Damascus suburbs, 1 in Hasakah, and 2 in Idlib.

Despite the prior demand from the FSA, an official from the Syrian League for Human Rights claimed to AFP that FSA colonel Hussein Harmush was executed by a gunshot wound to the head by an Air Force intelligence unit. In June 2011, Harmush was the first military officer to defect from the Assad government, doing so by communicating such to AFP in the Turkish town of Guvecci. He was later allegedly captured by intelligence from a refugee camp and forced to confess to various "crimes", which were broadcast on state television.

31 January

The ministry of interior issued a statement saying that the security forces killed a big numbers of "terrorists" and arrested many others in Douma, Harasta, Saqba, Hammouriyeh and Kfar Batna. It also said that they seized a huge amount of weapons.

The Syrian army continued its assault in the Damascus region with troops and tanks moving on Arbeen and Zamalka. On another note, an activist said that the FSA took control of the city of Rastan after a day of clashes with security forces. Furthers clashes happenned in Rastan according to activists who said that a building was destroyed by a tank.

Local Coordination Committees reported that the number of those killed on 31 January have reached 34, including two children, a woman and 5 defected soldiers, 4 of whom were executed by the security forces in Idlib. 14 were killed in Idlib, 12 in Homs, 3 in Damascus Suburbs, 3 in Daraa and 1 in each of Hama and Damascus.

February 2012

1 February

While the army continued their operations, the Russian ambassador at the UN stated that Russia would veto the proposed resolution if a clause explicitly excluding any military intervention was not included. 11 Iranians pilgrim were kidnapped, and iranian authorities accused syrian armed opposition for the action.

The number of those killed by Syrian security forces on 1 February has risen to 70 so far including 14 deaths from the Free Syrian Army, 2 women and 2 children. 35 were killed in Wadi Barada (Damascus suburbs), 8 in Daraa, 14 in Homs, 6 in Eastern Gharba (Daraa suburbs), 3 in Damascus suburbs (Arbeen and Moadamiya), 3 in idlib and one in Qamishli.

2 February

Heavy gunfire and shelling were reported to have occured in Wadi Barada valley outside Damascus. Twenty four people, including six army defectors were killed in the fighting according to activists.

At the United Nations , talks were progression toward a consensus according to ambassadors. The text has been watered down in an attempt to avoid a russian veto and does not explicitely ask for Bashar el Assad to step down although it still support the Arab League plan. The new draft also rules out explicitely foreign military intervention. However, Russia threatened to veto the text if put to vote the next day.

3 February

FSA troops assaulted Syrian army positions in Anadan, just outside Aleppo, leading to one death and five injuries. Protests also erupted in Aleppo itself.

External links

• The Syrian Revolution 2011 الثورة السورية ضد بشار الاسد Facebook page
• Timeline: Syria unrest, Ahram Online
• Syria Unrest collected coverage with live blog at Al Jazeera English
• Timeline of the Syrian civil war collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Live updates on Syria’s uprising at NOW Lebanon
• Syria protests (2011) collected coverage at The New York Times
• Syria Comment by Joshua Landis