Syria

At least 227 armed men surrender to Syrian army in Idlib

At least 227 armed men wanted by the Syrian government have surrendered to the army in the northwestern city of Idlib.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the men were freed after they turned in their weapons and pledged not to commit acts of violence targeting civilians and the government.

Since the beginning of unrest in Syria, the government has freed hundreds of prisoners who “did not have Syrian blood on their hands.”

In November last year, Damascus offered amnesty to those who surrender their weapons as part of attempts to ease months of unrest in the country. Shortly after wards, US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland advised Syrian gangs to reject the offer and not to hand over their weapons.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March and many people, including security forces, have lost their lives in the violence.

The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing the protesters. But Damascus blames ”outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

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