Hizbullah Comes to Assad’s Defense; Opposition Increases Pressure

Syrian opposition members accused Hizbullah of firing Katyusha rockets late Sunday night at towns near Damascus that have supported the popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Another attack, carried out by government forces in the city of Homs, killed at least five civilians, a rights group said.

A legislator from Homs left the country to join the opposition abroad, decrying widespread human rights abuses against the population.

“The Syrian people are living their worst period,” parliament member Imad Ghalioun said in an interview from Egypt on Sunday night.

“The people of Homs are under siege and the city is disaster-stricken,” Ghalioun said. “There is no electricity, piles of garbage fill the streets... The sounds of shelling all night terrify children.”

Meanwhile, opposition politicians and fighters, made up primarily of deserters from the Syrian army, stepped up their pressure on Assad’s regime by coordinating their activities through a liaison committee. Tens of thousands of soldiers have already deserted, and the Free Syrian Army is working to encourage even more join through mass defections.

More than 5,000 people have been killed since March as government forces have reportedly gunned down protesters across Syria.