Fighting breaks out in restive Damascus district

Beirut: A restive district of the Syrian capital that has been a hotbed of dissent against President Bashar Al Assad was rocked by fighting overnight Saturday between government forces and army defectors, opposition groups said yesterday.

The Local Coordination Committees and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the clashes took place in Kfar Souseh early yesterday morning but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The district is a high security area, housing the Foreign Ministry and several security and intelligence agencies. It has also been the scene of frequent anti-Al Assad demonstrations since the uprising began.

"Violent clashes broke out between rebel fighters and regime troops at a checkpoint in Kfar Souseh district," the Observatory said in a statement.

Both the Observatory and LCC said explosions and gunfire were also heard in several other neighbourhoods of Damascus.

Peaceful beginning

The revolt against Al Assad's regime started in March 2011 with mostly peaceful protests. The deadly government crackdown led many opposition supporters to take up arms.

Now, the regime is facing an armed insurgency targeting government installations, soldiers and security forces.

In March, the UN said that 9,000 people had been killed. Hundreds more have died since. Clashes in the heart of the Syrian capital have become more common recently but are still rare compared to other opposition strongholds in Syria that witness regular deadly violence.

The Local Coordination Committees said "huge reinforcements" were brought in to Kfar Souseh in the wake of the overnight fighting.

Annan undermined

A cease-fire that was supposed to start last month has never really taken hold, undermining the rest of international envoy Kofi Annan's plan, which is supposed to lead to talks to end the 15-month crisis.

World powers remain divided on how to end Syria's crisis. The US and other Western and Arab nations have called for Al Assad to leave power, and the US and European Union have placed increasingly stiff sanctions on Damascus. But with Russia and China blocking significant new UN punishments, US officials are trying to get consensus among other allies about ways to promote overthrowing Al Assad's.

Visiting Annan deputy Jean-Marie Guehenno held talks yesterday with a three-man delegation from an opposition group inside Syria.

Abdul Aziz Al Kheir, a spokesman for the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, said the talks centred on implementing Annan's plan as the only path to a political process that could solve the crisis.