Middle East

Syria Suffers ‘Bloodiest Day’

While Turkey threatens to cut off electricity.

Violence in Syria spiked Monday and Tuesday, with more than 70 people killed in a 24-hour stretch. Of the dead, 27 were civilians who were shot, while 34 were soldiers and 12 were suspected Army deserters. Most of the clashes took place in the southern province of Daraa, which has been the site of much of the country’s violence since unrest began. Meanwhile, King Abdullah of Jordan called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, and a delegation of Syrian opposition officials traveled to Russia to urge the foreign minister there to drop his opposition to punitive measures against Assad’s government. Meanwhile, Turkey on Tuesday threatened to cut off supplies to Syria, including electricity—a stark rebuke to Assad, who had once been a close ally to Turkey.