Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Flashback on a Funeral and an Attack
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 8:52 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 1937 GMT: A leading syrian dissident, Walid al-Bunni, was released on bail today after being arrested in August, according to the AFP:
"The Damascus court of appeals on Wednesday freed opposition figure Walid al-Bunni in exchange for a bail of 1,150 Syrian pounds ($23). He will be tried later for inciting (anti-regime) demonstrations and sectarianism," said Michel Shammas.
1823 GMT: The newest phase of military action in Syria has been in high gear for the second day in a row:
The Local Co-ordination Committees, which report on protests in Syria says security force surrounded the Deir Baaloba neighbourhood in Homs today and opened fire with heavy weapons. The activist network also says hundreds of students have been demonstrating in the al-Ashrafeya neighbourhood of Lattakia against the arrest of a school principal, who was arrested by the security forces after he resigned in protest at the storming of the school and assault on the students within it. The LCC also says a number of people have been arrested in Aleppo.
1809 GMT: An Egyptian general has defended the actions of the military during Sunday's clashes with Coptic Christians:
"The armed forces would never and have never opened fire on the people," Gen Mahmoud Hegazy, a member of the ruling military council, said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Pointing at footage of an army vehicle from the scene of the clashes, he stressed that "there has not been a case of rolling over people with vehicles".
"They are trying to avoid running into protesters, not rolling over them."
The general also said the video proved that soldiers had come under attack by demonstrators armed with guns, knives and rocks.