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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (2) Full Focus Editor's choice A selection of our top photos from the past 48 hours. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Roadside clue becomes focus of Holly Bobo search 1:09pm EDT Iran says it has detected second cyber attack 5:55am EDT Five women brutally murdered in Mexico beach resort 23 Apr 2011 REFILE-GLOBAL MARKETS-Silver slide boosts dollar, drags on oil 1:31pm EDT "Water for Elephants" a lost opportunity 8:19am EDT Discussed 134 Texas governor calls for prayers for rain 133 Obama sees no magic bullet to push down gas prices 64 U.S. sends drones to Libya as battle rages for Misrata Watched NATO jets bomb Gaddafi compound 6:27am EDT Gunfire and tanks in Syria Sun, Apr 24 2011 Chernobyl Legacy 6:24am EDT Residents tell grim story of assault on Syrian city Tweet Share this By Suleiman al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Residents of the city of Deraa, cradle of the pro-democracy protests that have swept Syria, painted a chilling picture on Monday of an assault by security forces using tanks, heavy artillery and machine... Email Print Related News Security forces kill 9 Syrians in Sunni district Sun, Apr 24 2011 Syrian forces raid homes as Assad opposition mounts Sun, Apr 24 2011 Twelve killed in pro-democracy protests in Syria Sat, Apr 23 2011 Almost 90 dead in Syria's bloodiest day of unrest Fri, Apr 22 2011 Syria's Assad ends state of emergency Thu, Apr 21 2011 Analysis & Opinion West can find ways to pressure Syria Afghanistan : The gnawing fear of transition Related Topics World » Syria » A crowd watches as a man throws a rock at a passing tank in a location given as Deraa in this still image from an amateur video on April 25, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Social Media Website via Reuters TV By Suleiman al-Khalidi AMMAN | Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:25pm EDT AMMAN (Reuters) - Residents of the city of Deraa, cradle of the pro-democracy protests that have swept Syria, painted a chilling picture on Monday of an assault by security forces using tanks, heavy artillery and machine guns. Artillery pounded the town, electricity and most telephone lines were cut and soldiers took over mosques and other key locations, residents reported. Foreign correspondents are being kept out of Syria so the reports could not be verified, but residents contacted by telephone painted a consistent picture of a ruthless attempt to subjugate the city through military force. A prominent activist said at least 18 people were killed by gunfire and tank shelling, adding to the grim toll of a month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad which human rights groups say has already cost 350 lives. "Army units are pounding Deraa at this moment. There seems to be no end to the sounds of heavy machinegun fire and occasional mortars," said resident Abu Salem, several hours after the tanks rolled in at dawn. Another witness said he had seen bodies lying in a street near the Omari mosque after eight tanks and two armored vehicles were deployed in the old quarter. A pall of black smoke hung over the city. Most residents sought refuge indoors, but a few groups of defiant youths played cat-and-mouse with the troops patrolling on foot, shouting "down, down with Bashar." It was a dangerous game. "Anywhere they find people coming out in the streets, they attack with heavy ammunition," said another resident. Clouds of black smoke from the gunfire filled the sky above the city, said Abu Salem, from the large al-Masalmah tribe. Deraa, which in its heyday was a stopping place on the Hijaz Railway built during Ottoman rule a century ago, was more recently known as a recruiting ground for cadres of the ruling Baath Party and agents of the secret police. In the past six weeks, the Sunni Muslim city has emerged as a center of defiance against the autocratic rule of Assad and his minority Alawite family. CALL TO PRAYER DROWNED OUT Hours before troops stormed the city center and the old quarter, nearly 2,000 people gathered in the old Omari mosque, focal point of almost daily protests. One community leader after another criticized what they termed the "inhumanity and criminality" of the security forces during recent crackdowns, and called for the peaceful popular uprising against Assad to spread, residents said. Abu Salem said the echo of gunfire drowned out the dawn call to prayer after the tanks and soldiers arrived. "They occupied several mosques, including the Omari mosque and Sheikh Abdul Aziz (mosque), to ensure that even volunteers or imams cannot use minarets to ask for blood or urge medics to help the wounded," he added. He said dozens of tanks and scores of armored personnel carriers took up positions in the old quarter and the main squares in Mahatta, the heart of the commercial area. "They stationed tanks even in public gardens and security patrols seem to have orders to shoot on the spot." Witnesses described how black-clad snipers took up positions on high government buildings. "It's terrifying and shows the authorities will not spare anyone to subdue people and end our resistance and yearning for freedom," said one witness. Asked whether the residents were fighting back -- Deraa is a region where tribal traditions of vengeance are strong -- Abu Salem said that, until Monday, most residents had resisted calls to avenge the dozens of deaths. "Defenseless people cannot just watch as they get slaughtered. There is hardly a family that does not have a martyr now," he said. (Editing by Kevin Liffey and Andrew Dobbie) World Syria Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (2) USAalltheway wrote: Where is Hezbollah, I thought they were all about protecting the people? Apr 25, 2011 3:02pm EDT -- Report as abuse KiazerSouze wrote: Who cares? Move on. Isn’t there something more newsworthy? Why was the fact that the Holy Grail was discovered in Armenia along with the oldest known wine making press discovered in Armenia on the Holiest Easter Sunday in Armenian history not covered? What a waste of time and pathetic. Apr 25, 2011 3:19pm EDT -- Report as abuse See All Comments » Add Your Comment Social Stream (What's this?) © Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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