Observers from the League of Arab States will officially start monitoring in Syria from the city of Homs, where numerous military operations have been held against the opposition, RIA Novosti reports.
They will also carry out monitoring in Hama, Damascus and Idlib.
Le Monde newspaper (France) reported on Monday that Sudanese General Ahmed Mustafa ad-Dabi, head of the LAS monitoring mission, arrived in Syria on December 25. His mission is to investigate responsibility for the deaths of civilians. Local authorities claim that foreigners are attacking state structures and homes of citizens and spreading inter-confessional tensions.
The idea to send 500 monitors was announced at a session of LAS foreign ministers in Rabat in mid-November. But its implementation was delayed by differences between the LAS and Damascus on the status of the observers.
The monitors include civilians and military specialists. They are to evaluate fulfillment of the Arab initiative to stop violence in Syria by the state forces and their opponents and the release of prisoners arrested for anti-government protests.
The LAS temporarily suspended Syria's activities in the organization and imposed economic sanctions against Damascus, due to continued clashes that had resulted in over 5,000 people killed, according to the UN.
