Violence engulfs Damascus, choppers strafe capital

BEIRUT: Army helicopters on Tuesday strafed Damascus neighbourhoods as blasts shook another district hours after rebels fighters announced the launch of a full offensive on the Syrian capital, activists said.

Monitors said the violence comes as the rebel Free Syrian Army announced the launch of a full-scale attack operation, dubbed "the Damascus volcano and earthquakes of Syria."

The operation was launched at 1700 GMT on Monday "in response to massacres and barbaric crimes" committed by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the FSA's central-Homs Joint Command said.

A statement described the operation across the country as "the first strategic step towards bringing Syria into a state of complete and total civil disobedience."

From the early hours of Tuesday "regime forces used helicopters fitted with heavy machineguns to attack the (eastern Damascus) district of Qaboon," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Witnesses also reported heavy machinegun fire in Sabaa Bahrat Square in the heart of Damascus.

"Machinegun fire was heard in Sabaa Bahrat square, and members of the security forces, armed with Kalashnikovs, ran across the square," where the central bank is located, they told.

Shooting was also reported in Baghdad Street, a main road near the square.

Earlier, the Observatory said rebels and troops clashed fiercely in the neighbourhoods of Al-Hajar al-Aswad and in Al-Midan, which is close to the Old City.

Violence erupted in Damascus on Sunday and there has been no let-up as the army and rebels vie for control of parts of the capital in what one activist said was a "turning point" of the 16-month uprising against the autocratic regime of Assad.

An activist in the capital told that FSA fighters had blocked an attempt by the army to storm Qaboon.

"The army tried to raid the neighbourhood yesterday but the FSA stopped them," said the activist, who calls himself Omar.

He said the army, backed by tanks and low-flying helicopter gunships, randomly pounded the neighbourhood with mortars and heavy machinegun fire.

Overnight, troops also targeted an electrical power sub-station in Qaboon, causing huge power cuts.

"We were unable to evacuate the wounded because snipers were in control of the streets," Omar said.

Just before dawn there was a lull, Omar said, but shops were shuttered in Qaboon and few residents ventured out to shop.

Meanwhile, rebels reportedly made gains elsewhere in Syria, the Observatory said.

"In the province of Homs, rebel fighters took control of all checkpoints in Talbisseh on Monday," the watchdog said.

Talbisseh has been controlled by the rebels for weeks and it now appears the insurgents have been able to overrun troops at checkpoints surrounding the town.