UN observers visit the town of Madaya near Lebanese border

• published: 30 Jul 2015
• views: 334

1. Tracking shot of UN observer convoy heading to Madaya in Zabadani Province 2. UN observers inspecting a covered tank in the town of Madaya 3. UN observers talking to Syrian army officer 4. Mid of UN observers talking to officials 5. Syrian officer talking to observers 6. UN vehicle crossing a Syrian army checkpoint 7. Observers talking to local resident in Madaya 8. Close of damage to shop door, pull out to observers talking to local residents 9. Mid of observers talking to locals 10. Mid of crowd, pull out to a town square 11. UN observers crossing a blocked road leading to an army post 12. UN observers shaking hands with a Syrian army troop 13. UN observer taking photo of a Syrian army truck 14. Pull out from Syrian flag to Syrian troops by roadblock STORYLINE: A team of UN observers from the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) on Sunday visited the town of Madaya, west of Damascus, where they inspected Syrian military outposts and talked to local residents. Earlier in the day the UN mission announced that the number of observer personnel now in Syria had risen to 70 with the contingent set to reach 300 by the end of May. The team in Madaya toured the town, interacting with Syrian troops and making note of significant military activities. Madaya, a town close to the Lebanese border, has witnessed clashes between the Syrian army and anti-government rebels in the past months. Sunday''''''''s observer mission was the first time media and foreign reporters have entered the area. UN officials hope the deployment of more observers will gradually calm the situation, and a spokesperson for international envoy Kofi Annan said the peace plan remained on track. The US government last week offered a bleaker view, saying it was perhaps time to seek another approach. The international community remains divided on Syria, and Assad allies Russia and China would likely block harsher UN Security Council measures. Since the outbreak of Syria''''''''s popular revolt in March 2011, the regime has made a series of gestures to try to allay the crisis, but has also kept up its attacks on centres of rebellion. The UN says more than 9,000 people were killed in the first year of the uprising. Meanwhile, exiled Syrian opposition figures on Sunday urged voters to boycott an upcoming parliamentary election, dismissing it as a cynical attempt by President Bashar Assad to hold on to power. The regime has portrayed the vote, set for Monday, as a sign of its willingness to carry out reforms. The election for a 250-seat parliament comes three months after the adoption of a new constitution that allows for the formation of political parties to compete with the ruling Baath Party. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4a720dc397a68dd4f137095ef434d8f2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork