Rebels battle in Assad stronghold of Damascus

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Rebels battle in Assad stronghold of Damascus

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press – 40 minutes ago

BEIRUT (AP) — Bullets and shrapnel shells smashed into homes in the Syrian capital of Damascus overnight as troops battled rebels in the streets, a show of boldness for rebels taking their fight against President Bashar Assad to the center of his power.

For nearly 12 hours of fighting that lasted into the early hours Saturday, rebels armed mainly with assault rifles fought Syrian forces in the heaviest fighting in the Assad stronghold since the 15-month-old uprising began. U.N. observers said rebels fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the local power plant, damaging parts of it and reducing six buses to charred shells, according to video the observers took of the scene.

Syrian forces showed the regime's willingness to unleash such firepower in the capital: At least three tank shells slammed into residential areas in the central Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun, an activist said. Intense exchanges of assault-rifle fire marked the clash, according to residents and amateur video posted online.

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Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g26eIfhlXo_jRWlrz9462Lk_bw_Q?docId=d9017c0ce48a4774be478d044abe3705

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. This just keeps getting worse and worse.

And looking more and more like fullblown civil war.