Syrian Navy Ships Surround Latakia After Assault Kills 42

Syria’s navy maintained a blockade of Latakia following an assault on the port city during anti-government protests that has left at least 42 civilians dead over the past day, activists said.

Soldiers, backed by tanks and warships, also injured hundreds of people, Mahmoud Merhi, head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, said today in a telephone interview from Damascus. Gunfire was heard just before dawn as residents tried to get food before the Ramadan fasting hours began. Power cuts were reported across the city, Merhi said. Protesters also returned to the streets in the cities of Dera’a and Homs.