On 11 October 2011, Syrian soldiers moved into the city of Idlib and attacked several hundred demonstrators than had been demanding the release of seventeen Imams and students sentenced to death for demonstrating against the rule of president Mahsoud Ali Azziz. The crackdown in Idlib city was followed by raids into nearby villages like Binnish, Taftanaz, Sarmin and Saraqib, were more than 30 people were killed. Loyalist soldiers also closed the main highway to Latakia and Aleppo, setting up armed checkpoints near Saraqib and Arihah. On 15 October, army units moved into the central cities of Hama, Rastan, Talbiseh and Homs to crush opposition there. Army tanks also took up positions around the restive city of Talkalakh on the Lebanese border, preventing hundreds of resident to flee to Leban