Continue fighting in Syria, opponents gather in Rome

Activists in Syria reported that rebels clashed on Saturday the army in the north, while dissidents gathered outside to try to unify the fragmented opposition movement and projected as a credible alternative to President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes on Saturday in the province of Idlib in Syria's northern border with Turkey, a key point of 14 months of the uprising against the Assad government. "They are producing violent clashes between the Syrian regime and armed Army deserters," said the Observatory, which is based in Britain. The violence has continued despite the ceasefire declared last month by the international envoy Kofi Annan and the presence of a UN mission, which now has 150 observers in the field. Opposition leaders came to Rome to try to strengthen the Syrian National Council divided (SNC, for its acronym in English), which seeks international aid to carry out their campaign to oust Assad. The clash within the CNS has not allowed to get international support.Members of the group told Reuters they could elect a new president or the board restructure for greater international support. In Damascus there were congregations to commemorate the deaths of 55 people Wednesday in two bombings in the capital. The violence in the country was confined to rural areas and the province, but has reached the heart of Damascus and Aleppo city, shopping center in northern Syria. On Saturday, the group al-Nusra claimed recent attacks in Damascus in a statement posted on YouTube. Assad's government has said the growing number of explosions in urban centers shows that the movement against it has international support and is not a survey developed nationally. Local activists and the Army of Free Syria denied being behind the bombings. The opposition accuses the government of orchestrating the bombings to tarnish the reputation of his enemies. The conflict in Syria began as a peaceful protest movement, but has been increasingly militarized as rebels face repression from the forces of Assad. More than 9,000 people have been killed by security forces, while the government says the rebels have killed 2,600 police and soldiers. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 900 people have died since the "ceasefire" on 12 April. Opposition activists reported attacks by security forces in Idlib and Homs, scene of some of the worst fighting during the uprising against Assad. The Observatory said at least two residents were killed in attacks Idlib security forces. Also in Idlib, four soldiers were killed and at least seven others were wounded when insurgents attacked a convoy.