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BEIRUT — Syrian tanks stormed Hama under heavy shelling yesterday, taking over a main square at the heart of the restive city and cutting off electricity, water and phone lines on the fourth day of an offensive.
The UN Security Council responded by condemning Syrian authorities for attacking civilians and committing widespread human-rights violations.
And the White House yesterday hardened its stance against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying he is the cause of instability in the country.
“Syria would be a better place without President Assad,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a news conference. “We view him as the cause of instability in Syria.”
Opposition figures and activists accused the regime of striking hard in Hama at a moment when world and media attention were distracted by the trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
“Hama is being collectively punished for its peaceful protests calling for the downfall of Bashar Assad,” said Suheir Atassi, a prominent pro-democracy activist. Like many other Syria-based activists, Atassi has gone largely into hiding and spoke to The Associated Press via e-mail.
“The Syrian regime is committing crimes against humanity. Where are the free people of the world?” she said.
At least three tanks took up positions in Hama’s central Assi Square, which in recent weeks had been the site of demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of protesters calling for Assad’s downfall.
A religiously conservative city with a history of dissent, Hama had largely fallen out of government control since June as residents turned on the regime and blockaded the streets against encroaching tanks.
But Syrian security forces launched a ferocious military offensive that left corpses in the streets over the weekend, tightening their siege on Hama and sending residents fleeing for their lives. The death toll since Sunday has reached around 100.