Syrian rebel forces clashed with the army in central Damascus for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday in fighting that some activists have called the “Damascus Volcano.”
According to reports from the Free Syrian Army, human rights groups, and Syrian state-run media, fighting was taking place in several neighborhoods.
State television said, “Authorities confronted an armed terrorist group that was opening fire and attempting to block roads in the Naher Aisha area in Damascus.”
Video footage uploaded by the Free Syrian Army showed what appeared to be rebel fighters shooting at regime forces in an urban area.
The group, which primarily consists of military defectors, also relayed a message from activists, saying that Syrian planes had dropped bombs that caused a reddish-purple fire and may be a type of chemical weapon, causing rashes, burns, severe headaches, fainting, and severe perspiration.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 100 Syrians had been killed in the fighting Tuesday. Of those 66 were civilians. It also said that heavy machine gun fire was heard and reported in several districts.
In retaliation, the Syrian army deployed “helicopters in the orchards of the Barzeh neighborhood” in the capital. It added that another helicopter in the Qaboun neighborhood was shot down by rebel fighters, citing several witnesses.
The anti-government local coordination committees confirmed that fighting had taken place in Damascus, and said 23 people had been killed in the city.
“Very intense gunfire was heard from the Damascus neighborhoods of Baghdad Street and Abbassiyeen in central Damascus, accompanied by warplanes flying above the capital,” the group said.
The fighting in Damascus, which marks the worst clashes to hit the capital during the 16-month uprising, began over the weekend. The Free Syria Army said the offensive marks a turning point in the rebellion.
“We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital. We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it’s enough,” Col. Kassem Sa'ad Al Deen, a spokesperson with the rebels, told AFP. Al Deen added that observers can “expect surprises” without elaborating.
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