Dubai: Syrian authorities said a derailed passenger train was proof that the Syrian opposition movement was not peaceful, amid renewed accusations by the United Nations that Syria was committing ‘crimes against humanity'.
The train, which was carrying 480 passengers and five crew members, was travelling from the northeastern city of Aleppo to the capital Damascus. Officials said the saboteurs ripped up a section of the tracks at Al Souda about five kilometres from the central city of Homs, causing the train to derail and the front carriage to catch fire in the crash.
Campaign of arrests
The driver was killed instantly and 14 passengers were injured, rail officials said. It remained unclear who was responsible for the incident, however, many observers believe pro-regime elements could be behind the incident in an attempt to paint the opposition in an unfavourable light.
Bashar Al Assad's government has seen a sharp decline in popularity after deadly crackdowns have swept the nation, particularly this month.
"Based on available information, the special advisers consider that the scale and gravity of the violations indicate a serious possibility that crimes against humanity may have been committed and continue to be committed in Syria," a UN statement said.
Meanwhile, Syrian security forces yesterday arrested several civilians, including women, in the flashpoint central city of Homs where gunfire was also heard.
"Gunshots were heard in Al Khalidiya neighbourhood and security forces have been making arrests," Abdul Karim Rihawi, the head of the Syrian League for the Defence of Human Rights, told the press.
Another activist, Rami Abdul Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, spoke of a "campaign of arrests in Homs that has targeted several women".
"Six explosions were heard on Friday night near the Baba Amr neighbourhood" in Homs, Syria's third city, he said. Security forces also made arrests yesterday in the Damascus neighbourhood of Rukneddin, which has a mostly Kurdish population, Rihawi said.
