Syrian opposition activists say government warplanes have bombed a Palestinian camp on the southern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, killing at least eight people.

The activists said Sunday's air strike was the first of its kind on the Yarmouk refugee camp since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad began suppressing a popular uprising in March 2011.

Elsewhere, Syrian rebels claimed to have seized a military academy near the northern city of Aleppo after fighting with government troops.

There was no independent confirmation of the casualties at Yarmouk or the fighting at the military academy because Syria bars independent journalists from reporting freely.