DAMASCUS, JUNE 10, SPA -- SYRIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED AT LEAST 14 PEOPLE ON SUSPICION OF BELONGING TO A TERRORIST GROUP, TWO HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS CLAIMED SATURDAY. AMMAR QURABI, WHO HEADS THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT AUTHORITIES ON FRIDAY DETAINED A LARGE NUMBER OF SYRIANS FROM THE TOWN OF ERBEEN NEAR THE CAPITAL DAMASCUS, BUT LISTED THE NAMES OF ONLY 14 OF THEM. HE SAID THE MEN WERE LIKELY ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OFINVOLVEMENT IN A GUNBATTLE LAST WEEK BETWEEN MILITANTS AND SECURITY FORCES IN DAMASCUS IN WHICH FIVEPEOPLE, INCLUDING FOUR OF THE MILITANTS AND A POLICEOFFICER, WERE KILLED. THE GOVERNMENT AT THE TIME DID NOT NAME THE MILITANTS’ GROUP OR GIVE THEIR SUSPECTED MOTIVES BUT THE OFFICIAL SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY SAID THE MILITANTS IN THE GUNBATTLE WERE MEMBERS OF A «TAKFIRI» GROUP. ANOTHER HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP, THE SYRIAN ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, ALSO REPORTED THE MEN’S ARREST, SAYING THEY WERE TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. --SPA 10/06/2006 12:55 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/367621