Empty streets in Zabadani, Syria. Amateur video obtained by Reuters shows a town boarded up. Zabadani, some 19 miles northwest of Damascus, has come under heavy fire. The town of about 40,000 people has become a stronghold for army defectors. The United Nations says that more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began last March. The Syrian government blames the violence on foreign backed insurgent groups. More footage shows a mother grieving for her son. She calls to god for strength. Her son was purportedly killed on January 8th, along with another civilian. On January 13th, the town was reportedly stormed by Syrian forces. The sound of gunfire can be heard in nighttime footage from January 12th. Syria has banned most independent media from the country making it difficult to verify accounts from activists or the government. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
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