Syrian boys play on top of a destroyed military tank next to the rubble of a damaged mosque in the city of Azaz, on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012.BEIRUT – Syrian regime forces shelled two central Damascus districts Wednesday before troops backed by tanks swept through to carry out house-to-house raids, killing at least 35 suspected rebels, in a major flare-up of fighting in the Syrian capital, activists said.
In a particularly hard-hit northern district, activists said they discovered dozens of bodies that appeared to have been shot execution-style. Such gruesome reports have become increasingly common in recent months as the civil war has taken on heavy sectarian undertones.
The capital is one of many fronts President Bashar Assad’s regime is struggling to contain as the 17-month-old rebellion against his rule gains strength.
Government forces are also engaged in a major battle for control of the northern city of Aleppo as well as smaller scale operations in the country’s south, east and center.
On the diplomatic front, a senior U.N. official said Iran’s arms supplies to Syria violated U.N. sanctions. France also indicated it has provided the rebels with communication and protection equipment but cautioned against foreign intervention without a U.N. mandate.