Syrian Forces Besiege Town After Wave of Troop Defections

Syrian forces assaulted a town near the city of Homs on Monday after the defection of tens of soldiers in the area, activists and residents said. They said defections among Syrian troops have been on the rise since Libyan leader Muamar Al-Qaddafi was ousted more than a week ago, a claim Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied. Activists report desertions in the provinces of Deir Al-Zor and Idlib province, the Homs countryside and the outskirts of Damascus, where security forces exchanged fire with defectors Sunday. The defections that began in the Homs suburb of Rastan are particularly sensitive because the town of 40,000 has traditionally been a source of enlisted men for the mostly Sunni Muslim army. Trioops and tanks surrounded the town and shelled it, killing one and injuring five, the Reuters news agency said. Scores were arrested.