The Syrian army has suffered a major blow this weekend with 47 soldiers killed in clashes with deserters since Thursday. Twenty-six soldiers were killed on Thursday, 13 on Friday and eight in the latest attack on Saturday.
A Syrian rights group said that at least 40 were injured when defectors mounted an attack in the Idlib region. According to the report, none of the deserters were hurt themselves. As many as 70 people were killed on Saturday alone, human rights activists said. The Free Syrian Army, comprised of army defectors, claims to include 20,000 fighters led by General Riyadh al-Asaad.
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Arab finance ministers are currently meeting in Cairo to discuss economic sanctions on Damascus after it rejected a proposal to send hundreds of inspectors into Syria.
- Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judah asked Arab League members to discuss sanctions while taking into consideration each country's interests. He said that Jordan has prosperous trade ties with Syria and noted that many Jordanian students study in the country.
Earlier on Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Assad lashed out at his Turkish critics remarking that "some in Turkey are still clinging to the dream of reinstating the Ottoman Empire."
The Turkish leaders, he added, "Know that this dream is impossible, so they are trying to exploit parties with a religious agenda to expand their influence on the Arab world."