Syrian gunboats kill 19 in pounding of poor districts

SYRIAN gunboats firing heavy machine guns pounded impoverished districts of Latakia yesterday, killing at least 19 people in a renewed assault on the Mediterranean coastal city.

As the gunships blasted waterfront districts, ground troops backed by tanks and security agents stormed several neighbourhoods, with machine-gun fire and explosions heard across the city.

“We are being targeted from the ground and the sea,” said a resident of the al-Ramel district, which is also home to a Palestinian refugee camp. “The shooting is intense, many homes have been destroyed and the shabiha (thugs) have broken into shops and businesses.”