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First clashes in Christian areas
Fierce fighting between Syrian rebels and the army erupted on Wednesday near two Christian areas of Damascus for the first time in the nearly 17-month uprising, as the battle for Aleppo entered its fifth day.
Fierce fighting between Syrian rebels and the army erupted on Wednesday near two Christian areas of Damascus for the first time in the nearly 17-month uprising, as the battle for Aleppo entered its fifth day.
President Bashar al-Assad said the army was waging a "heroic" battle against the enemy and the country was engaged in a "crucial battle for its destiny".
As rebels and troops battled in Damascus and Aleppo, exiled opposition leaders bickered over strategy, with a prominent dissident announcing he had been tasked to form a government in exile, drawing criticism from the main opposition bloc.
A firefight erupted early Wednesday on the outskirts of Damascus' Bab Tuma and Bab Sharqi areas, two traditional Christian districts of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"First indications are that one soldier has been killed," the Britain-based group said. "This is fighting in areas where it has not happened before. These are areas where the rebels have so far not had access," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Military uses fighter jets
Syria's military has used fighter jets to fire on Aleppo, the country's second city, the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) spokeswoman told AFP on Wednesday.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), they (UN observers) saw firing from a fighter aircraft" on Aleppo, said Sausan Ghosheh. "They are jets."
