Talk:Houla:Connecting The Dots


 * 2014-01-25


 * per SyrPer:


 * Taldu: A pick-up truck with 23 mm cannon destroyed.  These rodents were identified out of 9 dead:


 * Muhammad Bakkoor
 * Midhat Bakkaar
 * Baraa` Al-’Aksh
 * ‘Abdullah Hallaaq (wounded leader of group. He is now warbling)

Familiar names. Will add the Bakkour's to the table. Led by a Hallaq. Taldou has some gangsters less. --CE (talk) 08:19, 26 January 2014 (UTC)


 * Which reminds me that Ahrar al-Sham were tweeting just the other day about fighting near Houla. Checked Jalal and he has a whole bunch of videos showing a battle on the 22nd featuring a "Brigade Green Banners of Dawn" fighting near the Hospital. Can't match anyone between the two video sources but it looks like this was a larger event. Taldou must be in a small remaining pocket of "resistance" now and it seems they are talking of the army "invading". --CE (talk) 09:02, 26 January 2014 (UTC)


 * 09-24
 * The Arcs. At least the vegetation is flourishing. :o/ --CE (talk) 15:21, 6 October 2013 (UTC)


 * 03-17
 * The Hospital is apparently still used by the army/MP. March 17 saw a bomb attack on it ... here is the observer video and here is a "making-of" uploaded 15 hours ago. Other recent vids show that Taldou keeps getting shelled. Here from the well-known position on the hill on March 22. --CE (talk) 03:23, 25 March 2013 (UTC)


 * 03-15
 * Guests in Houla: Statement of rebels Syria to Libya important government and people Libyans? That leader somehow looks familiar. Anybody know him? --CE (talk) 11:06, 18 March 2013 (UTC)
 * When you say Libya, my small pool directs me to think he looks kind of like Abdelhakim Belhadj. But then when it pans in closer, it doesn't seem so. That would be silly. He's pretty famous. I'd be Bullshitting if I pretended I could tell anything from their accents or anything, so ... guests, Libya, something, in or near Houla. Dunno. :) --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:02, 18 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes, Belhadj, that's the guy I was thinking of. Well, he sits in Tripoli already in wonderful freedumb and democracy, right, and doesn't hang around in Houla. And this guy seems to be a bit younger... maybe same clan. On the other hand, Jalal didn't date the vid (which he usually does) and I just assumed it was in Houla. Anyway, nevermind, just checking. --CE (talk) 12:40, 18 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Who ever he is, he is wearing the shoulder patches of a Syrian Army colonel. The title translates to "statement from the rebels of Syria to the government and people of Libya". -- Petri Krohn (talk) 02:42, 26 March 2013 (UTC)


 * 02-24
 * SANA: The army also eliminated scores of terrorists in Taldo, among them were Abdul-Mohsen Ghantous, leader of a terrorist group, Khaled Nathr Allah al-Qarra, Abdul-Rahman al-Shamali, Aref Assara and Abdul-Ghani Harmoush. --CE (talk) 05:45, 25 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Slow news days over at Jalal's as well, only uploaded one new video in the last week, and yesterday this one, which is undated and allegedly "leaked". It finally shows some dreaded Shabiha (more like kids) firing - "indiscriminately on civilian homes", of course - from the roof of the National Hospital. There is some fighting going on elsewhere, f.e. smoke from maybe near where the RPG incident took place. No real reason to assume it's from May 25ff, I guess he would have mentioned that. But I never saw the viewpoint from the top of the hospital before, so there's that. Jalal also "liked" this video which is quite a funny watch. Even "rebels" know the horrors of facebook. ;o) --CE (talk) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

Five killed says SyrPer:
 * 02-18


 * Ismaa'il Al-Khaled
 * Muwaffaq Al-Ali
 * Hasseeb Al-Saghir
 * Hudhayfa Al-Khatib (Mmm, maybe a new leather bag collection for the Al-Khatib family?)
 * Hussam Abu-Al-Azzam


 * 02-12
 * Six more including one Bakkour according to SyrPer. --CE (talk) 19:04, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

From SyrPer: TALDO: At Saahat Al-Raam and Khamis Market, all in the Al-Huleh area, the SAA has netted the following rodents:
 * 02-09
 * Rateb Al-Hamadi
 * Samir Majid Abdallah
 * Hussein Kamel
 * 'Ibada Isma'il
 * Taher Muslim Agha
 * Ali Bilal Misbah
 * Jassem Al-Qassem
 * Muhammad Wad'i Al-Kurdi
 * Walid Sa'adeddin
 * Musleh Al-Qassem

From SyrPer: At Taldo in a continuing operation in the northern neighborhood... And let's not forget the great Harmoush family... (4 killed) -- Petri Krohn (talk) 02:31, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
 * 02-06
 * Mundhir Zarzar
 * Khalaf Al-Za'im
 * Hussein Al-Aamer
 * Khaled Harmoush
 * and someone by the name of "Al-Major".

02-02 01-30
 * The Red Cross just twittered: Good news. We've over the past days brought food and other assistance to 1000s of families affected by fighting in Al Houleh, #Syria. :o) --CE (talk) 13:34, 2 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Another Bakkour killed, at the roundabout, today, according to SyrPer. Already updated the table. Saw your mosque identifying attempts at the new Houla page but didn't really catch up - but what I can tell you is that this area of Taldou is covered in quite some detail in the video I urged you to watch on Nov 6, the one where Jalal gets slightly injured in shelling. See details, start and end point in the 11-06 entry below. :o( --CE (talk) 20:41, 30 January 2013 (UTC)
 * No, I still haven't! tomorrow night. --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:12, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

01-25
 * The SyrPer guy has this to report today:
 * At Haidariyya, Taldo and Al-Houleh, SAA and inhabitants combine to smash an attempt by terrorist vermin to enter these towns. Monzer reports 63 dead from the enemy. There are documented foreigners. He will get me the list as soon as he can.
 * Five hours ago Jalal uploaded the friday demonstration of a small but loudly allahuakbaring remaining core at revolution square, including two heavy explosions happening on the horizon somewhere at what I would estimate without checking as the direction of Kafr Laha ("Al-Houleh" probably) and Aqrab. --CE (talk) 18:03, 25 January 2013 (UTC)

01-15
 * Crikey! Now the dreaded Shabiha will get what they deserve thanks to the formation of Al-Hula's FSA kids brigade, which hasan husein shows us here and here ... *rolleyes* --CE (talk) 16:22, 18 January 2013 (UTC)

01-14
 * per Jalal: The disciples of "Sheikh" Adnan Al-Aroor made it to Aqrab :o( --CE (talk) 18:09, 16 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Checking. Video tiitle: "الحولة -عقرب اهداء من احرار عقرب للشيخ عدنان" Google: "Houla, Aqrab - read are free hand to Sheikh Adnan" A reasonable reading, though I don't know what read "اهداء" means here. It's not clear when he or his people would have arrived, but if it was just now, they came a little late. Maybe just to survey with pride an area that's been cleansed of Alawi, like all Syria hopefully will be. --Caustic Logic (talk) 00:24, 17 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Yeah, maybe just checking if they were properly fed to the dogs. Dunno what they're babbling but it's obviously about Aroor. Doubt that he himself would make it so far into Syria - was surprised that the scumbag was even reported to have been seen around Idlib or where it was. He's more the guy to rant out of a safe place in Mordor. --CE (talk) 10:30, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

2013-01-02
 * AAAAAAAAND another one: breakingnews ... clashes take place in al-Hula area where Syrian Army has killed 13 insurgents and destroyed a missile base was used by armed men documents.sy Anti-government activists: Abed al-Kareem Nabhab, Abed al-Ilah Hassoun, Muhammad al-Raheel and Mazen Bakkour have been killed in clashes against the Syrian Army in Homs countryside --CE (talk) 22:09, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

12-31
 * Rather bizarre propaganda piece by Christoph Reuter: Gaining a Clearer View of the Syrian Civil War A couple of paragraphs about his visit to Taldou, so maybe you want to take a look anyway. --CE (talk) 01:24, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
 * How many of those guys are running around? documents.sy: The Syrian Official TV: many gunmen, including Farouq Bakkour, Jihad Othman, Hasan al-Shandia and Majed al-Yusuf, have been killed in armed conflicts against the Syrian Army in Taldo area of Homs countryside --CE (talk) 23:35, 1 January 2013 (UTC)
 * corresponding TV announcement calling Bakkour the leader, specifying Al-Nasariyah neighborhood. --CE (talk) 00:01, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

12-21
 * Another Bakour, this time it's an "Ikrima" - likely our Akram/a. Seems to have been a prominent guy. Jalal uploaded him dead and his well-attended funeral. --CE (talk) 14:22, 23 December 2012 (UTC)
 * documents.sy: Anti-government activists say shells were fired on al-Houla city of Homs countryside, what resulted in the collapse of some buildings and no injuries, where pro-government activists say the bombardments caused the death of 20 militants, including one Libyan called Abed al-Agha --CE (talk) 14:27, 23 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Cool news! Akrama is not a normal name, but strangely Ikrima is. "A female pigeon. Name of an illustrious Sahabi." Most famous: Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl "The Avowed Enemy - The Devout Mujahid ... His animosity towards the Prophet, his persecution of his followers and his attempts to block the progress of Islam and the Muslims won the admiration of his father." Fought the prophet on his return, saw his father killed, ran away, was forgiven with his wife's intercession, couldn't get laid until he converted like her, converted, became a hero at the battle of Yarmouk and elsewhere. FYI. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:28, 23 December 2012 (UTC)

12-05
 * Another Bakkour: Many armed persons, including Shadi al-Qasem and Jihad Abed al-Rahman Bakkour, have been killed during fighting against the Syrian Army in al-Houla area --CE (talk) 05:01, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

11-06 Went to check Jalal's channel. The day before, he published an expedition with a handful of "Free Army" guys "of the battalion Martyr Mohammed Saheb Abu Omar". They started somewhere around here and walked up on the mountain, passing "Al-Shumariyeh", which is shown in detail and devoid of human beings, and sneak up to as near to the huge water tower as they dare. The army post is obviously still manned. Then they return. Video is half an hour, then his usual "same video without audio" shtick.
 * documents.sy: Associated Press Agency publishes a video that shows bombardments by Syrian Army on positions for Free Army miltiia in al-Houla area of Homs countryside ... Syrian Army attacks two positions for Free Army militia in Taldo district of Homs countryside, which resulted in the death of the militia’s ranks 
 * SANA (syndicated): A unit of the Armed Forces targeted a number of dens of armed terrorist groups in the town of Taldaw in Homs countryside and inflicted heavy losses on them. A source in the province told SANA reporter that the Armed Forces killed a number of terrorists and destroyed a number of vehicles, in addition to destroying two factories for making explosive devices and locally made missiles.

Don't know if publishing this had anything to do with what happened the next day - Jalal and his buddy are going around their usual business of filming destruction when the planes come and bombardment begins. Twenty minutes uncut video where he even forgets the "twice the content" habit and gets slightly wounded. It starts here and ends here. Must-watch. Chilling. This is as close to "indiscriminate bombing of civilians" as I have seen so far. At least six targets, all in the south including upper main street and the clock tower roundabout itself. Reminded me to not get too cynical when it comes to what those people are going through, in defiance of posturing and "false flags". --CE (talk) 23:13, 11 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Very useful video. I don't think I can even save a copy of a video that huge. I'll be taking some screen shots from our area of interest and some notes later. It's only when they get there and then see the water tower, as 6:45-6:50 I know where we are. 14:00-14:30 they're just east of the position "a guy with an RPG" fired on the army base as we've recently seen. So within firing range, and they stay low. "PINKE" and "the Brain" sure spend a lot of time dithering just short of the water tower. Got to 20:00, Watching more soon. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:26, 12 November 2012 (UTC)


 * LOL @ "PINKE and the Brain". Yeah, it's useful for understanding the topology up there. Wasn't aware how high it is and how abrupt that cliff is. Make sure to watch the other one - here's the result of the roundabout bombing. Clock tower still standing but that sniper post in the reddish corner building "has been". --CE (talk) 14:07, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

10-16 Fayez Talha al-Ekish and his clan were mentioned by Musin as among the perpetrators and named by "Arifah" as "the man who fired the mortar at the checkpoint". (belated sign)--CE 23:53, 16 October 2012 (EST)
 * SANA (syndicated): A unit of the Armed Forces on Monday clashed with armed terrorist groups in Taldao in Homs countryside, destroying 8 cars and killing all the terrorists inside them. SANA reporter quoted a source in the province as saying that the Armed Forces killed scores of terrorists and injured others. Terrorists Ahmad Abdeen, Fayez Talha al-Ekish, Diyab al-Ekish and Ziyad al-Ekish were identified among the wounded.
 * Good to hear from ya! That's odd - I thought the mortar-firer, whoever he was, was injured and taken into custody? Is this the same Fayez who helped in the slaughter of Taldou, free until injured in battle five months later? Some police state to have such a progressive early release program! --Caustic Logic 23:40, 16 October 2012 (EST)
 * Brought to field hospital and "alive and well" according to her. Our friend Jalal has a couple of videos showing the clashes on the 6th, mentioned below. Farouk brigade visited town. Allahu Akbar! --CE 23:53, 16 October 2012 (EST)
 * Interesting telephoto view: -- Petri Krohn 09:44, 17 October 2012 (EST)
 * Hula smoke billowed a result of the barbaric bombing 7-10

10-13 10-06
 * documents.sy: Media sources: a large number of militants got killed, as their vehicles got destroyed, in Taldo area of Homs countryside
 * documents.sy: More than 20 distorted bodies have been found in Houla area, located in Homs countryside, where the Syrian Government and Opposition exchange accusations --CE 00:01, 7 October 2012 (EST)
 * Video by Houla Media Office dated today, showing "first images of massacre" - half a dozen dead fighters on a pick-up - environment looks too undamaged to be Taldou, me thinks. --CE 05:33, 7 October 2012 (EST)
 * SANA: A unit of the armed forces clashed with an armed terrorist group that terrorized citizens in al-Tibeh village and Taldao town in al-Houla area, killing a number of terrorists. --CE 03:24, 8 October 2012 (EST)

2012-10-05
 * documents.sy: Syrian Official TV: Troops of the Syrian Army engage with insurgents in Tal al-Thahab, situated in Houla area and destroy a vehicle --CE 00:07, 7 October 2012 (EST)