Syria: government forces attack Deraa

Syrian armoured forces attacked Deraa on Thursday to try to stamp out Free Syrian Army
rebels in the city where the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule began last March, residents and opposition. The bombardment started around dawn, after which exchanges of fire continued. There was no comment from Syrian authorities, who tightly restrict media access to the country. An army offensive last April put down large demonstrations in Deraa, which had been provoked by the arrest of several women activists and the detention of schoolboys who had written freedom slogans on walls.