Thousands of Syrian troops on move to rebel northern area

Turkey says it will open the frontier to Syrians fleeing violence, while villages open their mosques, churches and schools to take in people fleeing in terror as Assad regime cracks down.

BEIRUT // Thousands of elite troops led by President Bashar Assad's brother converged yesterday on a northern area, and neighbouring villages called to warn that the convoys of tanks were approaching, a resident and a Syrian activist said.

Syrian forces have lost control of large areas of the northern province, a pro-government newspaper reported, in a rare acknowledgment of cracks in the regime's tight grip after weeks of protest calling for an end to its 40-year rule.

The separate reports raised the prospect of more bloodshed in Syria's nationwide crackdown on the 11-week revolt. The region borders Turkey, which said yesterday it would open the frontier to Syrians fleeing violence.

In Jisr al Shughour, where the government said "armed groups" had killed 120 security forces and taken over, a resident said nearby villages had opened their mosques, churches and schools to take in people who fled in terror. Many also crossed into Turkey from Idlib province, said the man, who would give only a nickname, Abu Nader, because he feared government reprisals.

Witnesses in nearby villages called to tell people in Jisr al Shughour that tanks were approaching, Abu Nader said. He said he feared an attack was imminent.

The pro-government newspaper Al Watan said gunmen had set up boobytraps and ambushes in small villages to thwart incoming troops, and were sheltering in forests and caves.

Mustafa Osso, a human rights worker, said witnesses told him that thousands of troops were moving toward Idlib.

He said many of the forces were from the army's 4th Division, which is commanded by Mr al Assad's younger brother, Maher. The younger Assad also commands the Republican Guard, whose main job is the protect the regime, and is believed to have played a key role in suppressing the protests.

"The number of soldiers is in the thousands," Mr Osso said. He speculated that the government planned a "decisive battle".

Al Watan said the Syrian army was launching a "very delicate" operation designed to avoid casualties in Jisr al Shughour. The newspaper said some people were being held captive by armed groups that control some areas in Jisr al Shughour and a large area of Idlib.

There was no way to independently confirm the reports from Syria. The government routinely blames armed gangs and religious extremists for the recent violence.

Activists had reported fighting in Jisr al Shughour between loyalist troops and defectors who no longer wanted to continue the crackdown on protesters seeking Mr al Assad's departure. Activists say more than 1,300 Syrians, most of them civilians, have died since the start of the nationwide uprising.

The British prime minister David Cameron said Britain and France would offer a resolution at the United Nations condemning the crackdown.

"If anyone votes against that resolution or tries to veto it, that should be on their conscience," Mr Cameron said.

The United States and its allies are also pushing ahead with efforts to bring Syria before the UN Security Council for failure to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, despite opposition from China and Russia.

A draft of the resolution expresses "serious concern" over Syria's lack of cooperation with "repeated requests for access" by the UN nuclear agency to information about its Dair Alzour facility.

The draft was circulated yesterday to the 35 ministers on the IAEA's board of governors. It needs majority approval to be sent to the UN Security Council.