photo: cbc
Syrian rebel forces have made significant gains today, taking both the east and western portions of Damascus entry points, and in all effect, shutting down Syria's main international airport to any civilian flight. Only military flights might still be ongoing.
Heavy fighting in the area has been ongoing today, and some of the residents have been seen fleeing the worst conflict zones.
Government forces have responded with heavy shelling in the night. Aleppo too has seen an intensification of the fighting.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights or SOHR has reported that the shelling has affected a refugee camp for Palestinians Yarmouck and several districts in Damascus. The army is also believed to have unleashed sniper fire on the fleeing civilian population.
The opposition group Syrian Revolution General Commission has reported that Assad has ordered reinforcements of position in Daraya, a southern district of the city of Damascus. Five tanks and military convoys have been spotted moving from the Mazzeh military compound airport towards that area, which they army is trying to regain control of.
In Deir Ezzor, there has also been heavy fighting and a bomb blast went off near regime forces buildings.
The rebel forces are said to control 30% of the city, which is very near the Iraqi border and also strategically located near oil fields.
The death toll for Saturday alone was reported to be 216, which is one of the highest numbers since the civil war begin for a one day period.
A membr of UNRWA, an agency that aids Palestinian refugees said that a teaching staff member was killed in one of the camps southwest of Damascus by shrapnel as he fled his home. This latest victim is now the sixth member of the agency's staff killed in the conflict,
Source : Al Jazeera 3.16.13
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