Hundreds of tanks were deployed on Wednesday around the cities of Hama and Deir ez-Zor, while tanks were seen heading towards Salmia town in the Damascus countryside. Communications networks were cut.
The Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel-Rahman, stated that "nearly 200 tanks in addition to other military vehicles surrounded the city of Deir ez-Zor from all directions." According to him,
more than 100 tanks arrived from the Homs road and the Khan Sheikhoun road in addition to dozens of armored personnel carriers, adding that "landline and cellular communications networks were cut in the city of Hama."
According to Abdel Rahman, tanks and armored vehicles were seen on the road leading to the city of Salmia south-east of Hama, which has seen over the previous days massive demonstrations calling for ouster of the regime.
For its part, according to the official Syrian news agency "SANA", citing an unnamed military officials, that " armed terrorist groups in the provinces of Hama and Deir ez-Zor continue to terrorize the citizens and publish false rumors among in an attempt to tarnish the image of the army and the abuse of its reputation."
