Syria: More Deaths Amid Reports Of Rifts In Elite Republican Guard

Syrian security forces killed at least 16 protesters across the country, Syrian Revolution General Commission said, according to Al Jazeera.

It is also reported that the army and security forces have launched large scale arrests and raids in various parts of Damascus.

Meanwhile, some media reports claim that the Syrian leadership had relieved a number of officers from their duties in the elite Republican Guard. Among them is Manaf Tlass, the son of former defense minister Mustafa Talas.

These officers reportedly refused to participate in the killing of Syrian civilians. Other reports said that the move was caused following rifts with General Hafez Makhlouf, the president’s first cousin.