Syrian Troops Bombard Locations Across Country

Posted July 22nd, 2012 at 7:20 am (UTC-5)
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A Syrian watchdog group says government troops are bombarding locations across the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports Sunday that government bombardments are under way in the capital, Damascus, as well as the provinces of Homs and Deir Izzor. The Observatory says the “sounds of rockets and heavy vehicles” have been heard in the Mazzah district in Damascus.

Clashes between government and rebel forces have also been reported in Aleppo province.

Meanwhile, rebel forces said Sunday they have captured the al-Salam boarder crossing, north of Aleppo, days after taking another crossing along the Turkish border.

Turkey has registered more than 43,000 refugees from Syria, but many others are believed to have crossed into Turkish territory without being counted.

The United Nations has reported an estimated 30,000 Syrians have crossed into Lebanon since Thursday. Authorities in Iraq say about 1,000 people arrived from Damascus by air, while thousands more people trying to escape the escalating violence arrived from Syria by land.

An attempt by Western and Arab nations to impose U.N. Security Council sanctions on Syria failed this past week after Russia and China vetoed the plan.