Syria orders thousands into stadium in Latakia crackdown

Syrian security forces seize IDs and cellphones from those gathered at the soccer arena, activists say. Five people are killed, and the U.N. is worried about Palestinian refugees in the area.

Syrian security forces continued hammering opposition strongholds in Latakia, especially in the district of Ramleh, which has been pummeled with tank, gunboat and automatic weapons fire. (AFP/Getty Images / August 15, 2011)

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• Syria forces use naval power against Latakia

 By Borzou Daragahi and Roula Hajjar, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 16, 2011

 

Reporting from Beirut—

 

Syrian security forces cracking down on opposition strongholds in Latakia herded thousands of people into a stadium and took away their identification cards and cellphones, activists said Monday.

Forces loyal to the regime of President Bashar Assad continued hammering opposition strongholds in the country’s main port city, especially in the district of Ramleh, which has been pummeled with tank, gunboat and automatic weapons fire after unusually large antigovernment demonstrations broke out there Friday.

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