Gunfire, explosions in Syria border town

2012-02-16 44

(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Amateur video obtained by Reuters shows rebels attacking a Syrian government tank and setting it ablaze in the mountain resort town of Zabadani.

According to activists, the video, which also shows the town being shelled, was filmed last Friday (February 10).

Zabadani, a town north-west of Damascus near the Lebanese border, was largely under the control of Assad's opponents for several weeks, before being stormed by government troops earlier this week.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces entered the besieged town on Saturday after agreeing a ceasefire with rebels, an opposition leader in exile said.

The agreement, reached after a week-long tank and artillery bombardment that left at least 100 people dead in the town of 20,000, stipulated that rebels should return weapons and armour seized from loyalist forces, who would not pursue the rebels, the opposition leader said.

But activists said on Sunday that Syrian troops had broken the deal, sending in reinforcements to take over the town.

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