Heavy fighting and shelling punish Damascus, amid rebel offensive

The fighting between rebels and government troops for control of Damascus flare up again today, accompanied by bombing on a day of violence that left more than thirty deaths in all Syria. Army spokesman Free Sirius (ELS) within the country, Colonel Saadedin Qasem, told Efe in conversation over the Internet that his forces are facing "the gangs of the regime" in every neighborhood of Damascus. According Saadedin, the rebels are trying to take control of strategic locations, such as headquarters of the general command of the army, secret services and the state radio and television. This escalation of military operations of the insurgents has led authorities to Damascus to give the order to some units deployed in the territory near the Syrian Golan Heights (occupied by Israel in the Six Day War of 1967) of start to the capital to protect it. While heavy fighting record, shelling by government forces persist in the capital with helicopters and artillery in neighborhoods like Al Qadam, Al Mezzeh, Al Asali and Kafr Susa and in peripheral locations. In this regard, the Local Coordination Committees (CCL) said that there is information to suggest that only in Al Mezzeh 24 people may have died, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed eight deaths. These groups also denounced the regime's troops stormed the neighborhood of Barzeh and executed at least four residents.This area, which authorities say prosecuting terrorists suffered heavy bombardments and shortages of medical necessities. Next to the capital, the other competing city is Aleppo, the second in the country, where, according Saadedin, the SLA is deploying a larger number of combatants. The spokesman said its fighters come to Aleppo from other areas of the province in order to control it in "coming days". Last night, the SLA commander in the region, Colonel Mohamed al Aquidi, last night announced the start of "operation for the release of Aleppo from the hands of the bands of Al Asad." For its part, the Sana news agency reported that the Syrian Armed Forces pursued today in Aleppo to "terrorist groups" and killed dozens. According to CCL, in this new round of violence has killed at least 39 people, eleven of them in Damascus and its surroundings-not including potential victims of Al-Mezzeh, while the General Committee of the Syrian Revolution documented 34 deaths . This information has not been independently verified by the restrictions imposed by the regime for journalists to work.