On Thursday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said at least 462 have been killed since the mission for the Syrian ceasefire was started on April 16. The death toll includes 34 children. In the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday, two bombs struck, causing an unknown number of casualties, as a two-week old peace agreement continued to unravel. The state-run news agency called the bombing a “terrorist bombing” that resulted in “a number of victims and injuries.” Syrian government officials and the opposition continue to trade accusations of the escalating cease-fire violations. The Syrian government consistently blames “armed terrorist groups” for the violence that has wracked the country for more than a year.
Kofi Annan, who is in the United Nations and Arab League envoy to Syria, called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and the opposition to end the bloodshed, allow humanitarian groups access to the population, release detainees, and begin a political dialogue with his peace agreement. Al-Assad’s regime and the opposition continue to face a bloody battle that has seen thousands of civilians killed. The United Nations estimates that at least 9,000 people have died since the uprising, while activist put the death toll at more than 11,000.
