Fighting Spreads in Damascus; Rebels See Turning Point
Battles between security forces and rebels rocked Syria’s capital for the third consecutive day Tuesday and appeared to be spreading to other districts of the city.
Opposition activists were calling the fighting — the fiercest clashes to date reported in Damascus — a potential turning point in the 16-month civil conflict, which previously had left the capital mostly unscathed.
A senior figure in the rebel Free Syrian Army, the main insurgent group, said Tuesday that the “battle for the liberation of Damascus has begun,” according to a Lebanese website tracking the conflict.
Col. Qassim Saadeddine, Homs-based spokesman for the Joint Command of the rebel group, said the fighting will not stop until the whole of the capital has been conquered, reported the website of a Lebanese television station.
“We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital,” Saadeddine is quoted as saying. “We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it’s enough.”
However, it appeared that the government of President Bashar Assad maintained control of key state installations and thoroughfares. Military reinforcements were said to have been brought into the capital and rushed to battleground districts. Video from the capital showed armored vehicles rumbling down main roads.