Syrian forces threatened to mount a "decisive battle" for
Aleppo even as rebels clawed towards the city's ancient centre under intense
bombardment and strafing from warplanes.
In the capital Damascus,
militiamen appeared to step up guerrilla-like forays in central districts that
were once firmly in the regime's hands.
The twin fronts reflected the
rising stakes for both sides and a possible significant evolution in rebel
strategies. Opposition forces appear to be shifting towards more hit-and-run
strikes in Damascus and elsewhere to tie up Bashar Assad's forces and blur the
lines between rebel and government-held territory.
The biggest prize of the
ambush brigades so far was 48 abducted Iranians branded as spies by rebels.
They were put on display in a video that carried a warning that all Iranians in
Syria would be "captured or killed" because of Tehran's strong
backing for Assad. Iran said those captured when their bus was commandeered on
Saturday were pilgrims visiting an important Shiite shrine on the outskirts of
Damascus.
The abductions threaten to
suck Iran deeper into Syria's civil war and the wider political brinkmanship
around the region. Iran claims it has no fighting forces aiding Assad, but it
has sharply amplified its criticism of countries supporting the rebels such as
neighbouring Turkey and Gulf states led by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
In further signs of the
growing proxy nature of Syria's conflict, Iran was forced to reach out to
Turkey and Qatar with appeals to help return the captives.
The daylight hijacking on the
main airport road in Damascus also raises questions about the regime's ability
to control key parts of the capital and protect the symbols of Assad's power
such as ministries and government offices - already breached once by a bombing
last month that killed four members of Assad's inner circle including his
brother-in-law and the defence minister.
The pro-government Al Satan
newspaper said the Syrian army was bracing itself for a "decisive
battle" to clear Aleppo, Syria's largest city, from rebels. It gave no
possible timetable and for more than a week, activists have claimed the
government is gearing up for an all-out offensive on the northern commercial
centre - another critical battleground for Assad's regime to survive.
Government gunners pounded
rebel-held areas to keep militiamen from expanding their hold on the city
centre, dominated by a medieval castle whose loss would be a deep symbolic blow
for Assad. Local activist Mohammad Saeed said government warplanes joined in the
attack by strafing rebel positions. "Fighter jets to us are now as common
as birds in the sky," he said.
Mr Saeed and the British-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy shelling and clashes mainly
in districts flanking Aleppo's historic centre - Salaheddine to the south west
and al-Sukkari and Hananou to the north east.
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