Armed men attack public, private properties in northeast Syria: TV

Armed groups attacked public and private properties in the northeastern province of Deir al-Zour and stole its content before sabotaging it, the state TV reported late Wednesday.

In a separate case, the TV said that "armed terrorist groups" in Deir al-Zour attacked a police guard station near al-Furat Petroleum Company, kidnapped 3 guards of oil well and seized their weapons.

It said, gunmen also killed one law-enforcement member and burned his body in Deir al-Zour.

In a related development, the TV said that security apparatus in Deir al-Zour seized a car loaded with weapons and Molotov cocktails, without elaboration.

In the violence-hit city of Hama, the state TV cited the head of the police department, Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Aisheh, as talking about the "brutal attack carried out by armed terrorist groups on the department as they set it on fire and killed and kidnapped police officers."

Aisheh said "about 500 armed men intruded the police station at 6 o'clock in the morning with the aim of stealing the weapons there," adding that after 6 hours of fire exchange a number of the armed men brought gas bottles and put them in the police station and set them on fire while others brought a barrel of diesel and burned it in order to destroy the police station.

Since the unrest began in mid March, Hama and Deir al-Zour have been the hottest centers of the demonstrations, with thousands protesting every week demanding for the downfall of the leadership.