E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
James Lawler Duggan / AFP - Getty Images
Free Syrian Army fighters take cover as they exchange fire with regime forces in the Salaheddin neighbourhood of Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday.
More foreign fighters claiming allegiance to al-Qaida have reportedly joined rebels in war-torn Aleppo, deepening the regional implications of the conflict in Syria.
According to Zeina Khodr, a journalist with news channel Al Jazeera, "Arab fighters from Saudi Arabia and Egypt who didn't want to be filmed" were operating in the city. Some reportedly claimed allegiance to al-Qaida.
Earlier this month, NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel witnessed al-Qaida units crossing the border from Turkey into Syria, raising fears that militant Islamists could use the civil war to establish a power base in the heart of the Middle East.
Russia warns Obama against' violation' of law over Syria
The 16-month Syria crisis has widened in recent weeks, with deadly sectarian clashes spreading over the border into Lebanon's coastal city of Tripoli.
At least 13 people have died and more than a hundred have been wounded in fighting this week between Lebanese Sunni Muslims and Alawites, including one in the early hours of Thursday.
NBC's Richard Engel answers your questions about Syria
Government troops and opposition forces have been fighting in Aleppo for a month after rebels took over several neighborhoods.
Machine guns operated by motorcycle brakes? Get a glimpse at the rebels fighting against Assad's forces in Syria's mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area.
Human rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday artillery and mortar fire and airstrikes by President Bashar Assad's forces in the northern city are killing mostly civilians, including children.
Clashes over Syrian conflict in Lebanon leave 10 dead
Meanwhile, Syrian forces backed by tanks stormed Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, on Thursday after 24 hours of artillery and helicopter bombardment to drive out rebels, opposition sources told Reuters.
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
After months of protests and violent crackdowns, a look back at the violence that has overtaken the country.
The bombardment killed at least 15 people and wounded 150 in Daraya, situated on the southwest edge of Damascus, the sources said.
Main players in Syria's civil war
Troops were conducting house to house raids in the conservative Sunni Muslim town and making their way to the town's centre, meeting light resistance from rebels who appear to have largely withdrawn from the area, activists in Damascus said.
Activists release amateur video reportedly showing the shelling of Aleppo by Syrian government forces while Japan confirms a war correspondent, Maya Yamamoto, was killed by gunfire in Syria. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
"They are using mortar bombs to clear each sector then they enter it, while moving towards the centre," said Abu Zeid, one of the activists. He was speaking by phone from an area adjacent to Daraya.
Other activists said the army was also shelling parts of the suburb from Qasioun, which overlooks Damascus, and from Republican Guard barracks situated near a hilltop presidential palace.
What a small car bomb looks like afterwards.Wrecked a shop and injured 3 soldiers at a checkpoint in north Weds twitter.com/Skytwitius/sta…
— Tim Marshall (@Skytwitius) August 23, 2012
Tim Marshall, a journalist with UK news channel Sky News, said he counted 32 explosions in the space of just one hour in the southern suburbs of Damascus early on Thursday.
Londoner against Londoner: UK fighters held journalist captive in Syria
Britain on Wednesday echoed the warnings of President Barack Obama that the use or threat of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime would force them "to revisit their approach".
A spokesman for U..K Prime Minister David Cameron said the "appalling situation that continues in Syria" had been the main focus of a telephone conversation between Obama and Cameron, according to a BBC report.
Another long night in Damascus.Heard 32 explosions between 0200 - 0300 from southern districts including Kfar Sousa.
— Tim Marshall (@Skytwitius) August 23, 2012
Obama on Monday threatened "enormous consequences" if his Syrian counterpart used chemical or biological arms or even moved them in a menacing way.
The president used some of his strongest language yet to warn Assad not to use chemical or biological weapons – after Syria acknowledged for the first time that it had such weapons and could use them if foreign countries attacked it.
Reuters contributed to this report.
As civil war rages on in Syria, there is growing concern over violence that is spreading to neighboring countries. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Ex-Israeli intelligence chief speaks out on Iran
- 'Bad manners' but 'not rape': Assange ally sparks storm
- Trayvon Martin case: How might it be treated abroad?
- Can Chinese eye exercises help prevent myopia?
- Q&A: NBC's Richard Engel answers questions about Syria
- Video: Poaching surge threatens survival of rhinos
- Reports: Olympic sprinter drowned when migrant boat sank
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
what are the chances that the syrian people were tired of being slaughtered by their own government and rebelled against Assad?
what are the chances that the chemical and biological weapons in syria came from iraq?
what are the chances that Al Quaida is really after the chemical and biological weapons instead of just helping brother muslims?
what are the chances that we will have to get involved in order to scure the chemical and biological weapons?
what are the chances that the centuries old war between the muslims and the christians ( remember learning about the crusades? ) has reared it's ugly head again and will spread globally?
what are the chances that Israel will have to go after the iranian nuke threat?
what are the chances that liberals will want to bury their head in the sand and pretend that it will stay contained to the middle east?
I can't remember when I've seen so much uninformed drivel on this board!
this is not bushes fault. and it's not Obama's either, however, it's squarely on President Obama's shoulders to be agressive in securing these threats to the USA.
OBAMA needs to not get the U.S. involved in this war in Syris. He (Obama) is a "closet" muslim so he needs to walk carefully among his "friends" who hate Israel.
I disagree, cs. Obama has much to do about the recent upraising. Do you not remember his speech in Cairo, Egypt in 2009? During which he coined the phrase, "Arab Spring" and urged the students and academia to follow their dreams. Also, read his book, "Dreams of my Father" where he wants to reset financially America to atone for slavery and colonialism. Beware should he be elected again, it will be the end of America as we know it.
Muslims from all over the world are coming to kill Al Assad and his regime, who are now considered by Islamic scholars to be worse than infidels (unbelievers). Highly respected Islamic Cleric Safwat Hejazi in Cairo, Egypt has issued a death fatwa against Al Assad, saying that the "killing of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is a duty for every Muslim". Well known Saudi Islamic scholar Sheikh Ayedh Al Qarni has also issued a fatwa to kill Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, stressing in his fatwa that "killing Bashar Al Assad is more important than killing Israelis". Insurgent Muslims from all over the world have been heading to Syria in droves to answer the call of jihad (holy war) against Assad's regime.
So, according to Obama, these are all just poor innocent citizens who just want democracy....Sure they are. Ask no questions, just send them weapons and money and urge them to kill.....Nothing that we are doing under the Obama administration is going to work for us in that area. There is no friend of our country on either side. We will only lose... and continue to be the enemy.
Question: That fighter in the picture helping a woman to safety. Interesting weapon he's carrying. What is it???
I would like to know too. The media will not report such things....I suspect that you could buy one from a Russian gun runner for a couple thousand....Unless of course Obama was the middleman....
I searched the net for it. It looks like a KAL1 variant. An Australian military weapon. It just struck me as being very different from the normal AK's you see in the pictures.
Hey money and weapons no object here , you come fight and the Saudis and Qataris will pay and arm you , NATO AND THE US DOING THE TRAINING , So here you go you just bring yourself , and they call that freedom fighters , who in the hell fighters from every little Muslims rat hole in the world coming to Syria to free , you all asss holes the ones that need proof that Alqaida in Syria and doing all the killing there , what else you need , the truth comes out , Assad and the Syrians are telling the truth about these thugs that only interest in Syria is to destroy it and kill the Christians , and you all cheering them on , I do not want to hear any body crying when they come here and attack us with our own weapons and training . you can go after Hillary , McCain , Lieberman , Graham , and Mr. Obama and all these hawks here , they do not care about anything but money and power , Our Generals should put stop to this nonsense by our corrupt politicians , and stop losing the lives of our troops . their lives means more than these damn no good Saudis and Qataris .
How do you call a 12 yr. old boy a thug and support Assad torturing him to death by cutting off his body parts and burning him to death. The real thugs are Assad and his forces that killed thousands upon thousands to prevent their freedom and rights.
Part of a UN report from monitors on the ground in syria - In the town of Houla on May 25, the commission said, President Bashar al-Assad's forces and militia allies were responsible for killing more than 100 civilians, nearly half of them children.
John...OK, I can believe at least half of that and agree that it could be true. How many civilians have been killed at the hands of the rebels??? I can agree that could be equal.......So why are you urging us to take sides??? Neither side is going to be our friend and ally.....and you are urging us to get involved...Why?? Both sides see us as the enemy and that will not change....
(FSA commander) I'll take a couple drones with heat seeking missles, and those shoulders gadgets over there, wouldn't mind some vehicles to shoot down evil helicopters, and throw in some ammo if you don't mind.
if the people want to have more human and equal rights, they should have a right to express it without being forced in one of Assad's torture chambers across the country (where children have been burned to death from torture). Syrian people have every right to defend themselves against this crude evil dictator killing thousands upon thousands of syrian people thinking only of himself.
(
if
Human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday that artillery and mortar fire and airstrikes by President Bashar Assad's forces in the northern city are killing mostly civilians, including children.
"They are shooting indiscriminately. They are dropping bombs onto the town from bombers onto people, running about one after the other, without discrimination," Yamamoto says in the video, shot Monday. In the final seconds of the video, a single gunshot is heard. Then, the footage ends.......This woman died being a hero and showed Assad true colors and his crimes against humanity. She also proved that Assad genocide of indiscriminating bombings of average citizens and children.
John M with my respect to the dead , that woman is a thug herself , she went in a country illegally and embedded with these rebels , she probably was screwing some of these no good thugs , and John you and your kind , call the Saudis or Qataris embassies and they will pay you and arm you so you can go fight the Assad regime yourself , I am about sick of people like knowing that Alqaida in Syria and every Muslims extremists there and you still willing to lie to us and support them , you believe all the BS about that massecare that the UN SAID IT WAS THE WORK OF ALQIDA , AND THE FRENCH REPORTER THE ONWE THEY SAID THE Syrians ARMY KILLED , WELL AFTER THE INVESTIGATIONS BY THE FRENCH , THEY FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS KILLED BY THE REBELS , NOT ONE SOB MENTIONED IT HERE , SO ENOUGH OF YOUR SHIIIT MAN , GO AND FIGHT FOR THESE THUGS AND YOUR TRUE LOVE OVER THERE .