Syria: Violence rages in Aleppo and close to capital Damascus

DAMASCUS- Activists reported more clashes Sunday in some Damascus suburbs, the battleground city of Aleppo in the north, central Homs province, and the restive southern town of Daraa.

On Monday, reports say clashes continue in Aleppo as the Syrian Army troops took control over al-A’damiah and al-Mashehad neighborhoods. Other official Media sources also indicate that the Syrian troops have confronted the militants attempting over again to attack the Central Prison and Aleppo Airport.

On the situation in the capital, the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper spoke of "foiled bids to break the calm in Damascus, which was cleansed of terrorist groups who terrified residents."

In Damascus and based on information from locals, the competent authorities uncovered tunnels under a house in the Old City of Damascus, in which they found large amounts of weapons and ammo and arrested a number of terrorists who had been stockpiling stolen equipment and medicine in that house to treated injured terrorists, state news agency SANA reported Sunday.

In northern Aleppo province, security forces ambushed Sunday an armed group at Aghyour roundabout, killing and wounding a number of its members, SANA said.

In central Homs province, government forces destroyed Sunday two hideouts of armed groups in al-Hamidieh neighborhood, killing tens of "terrorists" and destroying an ammunition dump.

Also in Homs, authorities pursued an armed group in Talbiseh city and arrested 26 of its members, who were attacking citizens and blocking streets.

In the southern province of Daraa & also on Sunday, government troops pursued armed groups at al-Nazihin camp, SANA said, adding that the confrontation left a number of armed men killed or injured.

In the northwestern province of Idlib, authorities arrested Sunday a number of armed men who have committed acts of killing and robbery, and confiscated 80 explosive devices.



State-run news agency SANA also reported Sunday that one of its reporters, Ali Abbas, was killed at his residence near the capital Damascus. The deaths of Syrian journalists on Saturday were reported on Sunday.



Regarding official press in Syria too, the Syrian Al-Ikhbariya Satellite TV announced Saturday that its photographer, Hatim Abu Yahyia was martyred, while the rest of its team to al-Tal City near Damascus: Yara Saleh, Abullah al-Tabra, and Hosam Imad are well two day after their kidnapping there.

On Friday, rebels abducted three state television journalists as they accompanied government troops operating near Damascus. The Syrian official media reports blamed an "armed terrorist group" - the regime's catchall term for its opponents - but gave no further details.

On the opposition side, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said all communications were down in the city of Aleppo, as well as in large parts of its countryside.

In Damascus, activists reported Sunday gunfire in the Qadam neighbourhood, while security forces carried out raids and arrests in the Qabr Aatka district.

Elsewhere in the province, machine gun fire was heard on Sunday in the town of al-Tel, where 15 civilians were killed in shelling and clashes a day earlier as troops tried to regain control from rebels.

In Homs, government forces pursued a massive-scale incursion into the restive district of al-Shamas in the central city of Homs on Saturday, activists said.

Rebel-held neighborhoods in Homs have been under siege for more than two months, as shelling by government forces continues, while clashes with rebels at the edges rage.

Also on Sunday, activists in the southern province of Daraa posted what they said was live footage showing tanks stationed in the town of Tafas amid sounds of intermittent shelling in the background. Activists there said they feared a "massacre" by regime loyalists.

In the northwestern province of Idlib, scores were reportedly killed as clashes raged between government troops and rebel fighters in several towns.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist network, placed the death toll from Sunday's violence at 53. However, none of the activists' accounts could be

Also On Sunday, Syrian activists say all communications are down in large parts of the countryside and in the flashpoint city of Aleppo, where government forces reportedly have been pushing rebel forces out of position since last week.

It is unclear what caused the cut in communications since early Sunday. But despite this, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had reports that the army was continuing to shell rebel-held districts in the country's largest city. There also were reports of violence elsewhere in the country.

Press reports abroad keep telling that they cannot verify death reports from Syria, as regime has banned direct reporting from conflicted areas. It also indicated that there are no immediate reports of casualties.
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