Syrian Blast Kills 14

Created: 2012-01-23 07:07 EST
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A blast has killed at least 14 prisoners travelling in a Syrian security vehicle on a road in the northwestern province of Idlib. 
             
Syria's state news agency said a "terrorist" group had set off two explosions on the road between the towns of Idlib and Ariha.  
            
Activists in the area offered a different account, saying the vehicle had actually been carrying dead bodies. 
             
Foreign journalists are mostly banned from Syria and such reports are impossible to verify. 
             
Meanwhile, video from a social media website appeared to show the announcement of the defection of a Syrian army lieutenant in the province. 
             
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops had clashed with army deserters as they tried to join the insurgency in the town of Jebel al-Zawiya in Idlib province. 
             
Syria has accused its neighbors of failing to combat arms smuggling to insurgents across their borders. 
             
On Saturday Syrian forces killed a Lebanese fisherman and wounded another when they seized a boat a relative said. 
             
Residents said the Syrians may have suspected the men of smuggling. 
             
Family members were distraught.              
 
[Family Member]:              
''They are my brothers, they went out in the morning to pick up the nets and then they came at them with a boat, a regular boat. They killed one of them and they took the two others.''
              
Lebanese authorities confirmed the seizure of the boat but gave no details of casualties.
              
These incidents have occurred as the Arab League decides whether to keep its monitors in place. 
             
Arab states have been divided over how to handle the crisis in Syria.
Tags: syria  assad  arab spring  uprising  protests  video  violence  rebels  army  defection