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SANA via EPA
People at the site of a car bomb explosion in southern Damascus on Monday.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Picture released by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.
AMMAN, Jordan -- Syrian jets bombed suburbs of Damascus and a car bomb killed 10 people in the capital on Monday, the last day of a four-day truce that U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon acknowledged had failed.
Each side blamed the other for breaching the Eid al-Adha truce arranged by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who nevertheless promised to pursue his peace efforts.
"I am deeply disappointed that the parties failed to respect the call to suspend fighting," Ban said in Seoul, where he was visiting to receive the Seoul Peace Prize.
"This crisis cannot be solved with more weapons and bloodshed ... the guns must fall silent," he said.
Brahimi, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, voiced regret that the cease-fire had not worked better. Asked whether U.N. peacekeepers might be sent to Syria, he said there was no immediate plan for that.
Watchdog: 420 people killed since Friday
Although President Bashar Assad's government and several rebel groups accepted the plan to stop shooting over the Muslim religious holiday, it failed to stem the bloodshed in a 19-month-old conflict that has already cost at least 32,000 lives.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition watchdog, 420 people have been killed since Friday.
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A look back at the violence that has overtaken the country
Damascus residents reported heavy air raids on the suburbs of Qaboun, Zamalka and Irbin overnight and on Monday that they said were the fiercest since jets and helicopters first bombarded pro-opposition parts of the Syrian capital in August.
Syrian state television said women and children were among those killed or wounded by a "terrorist car bomb" near a bakery in Jaramana, in the southeast of Damascus. Damascus residents say the district is controlled by Assad loyalists.
More photos: Car bomb hits Syrian capital as truce comes to bloody end
Accusations exchanged
State media said Assad's armed opponents had broken the truce throughout the Eid.
"For the fourth consecutive day, the armed terrorist groups in Deir al-Zor continued violating the declaration on suspending military operations which the armed forces have committed to," state news said, later adding that rebels had attacked government forces in Aleppo and the central city of Homs.
The Damascus air raids followed what residents said were failed attempts by troops storm eastern parts of the city.
After decades of oppression, Kurds get taste of freedom as Assad's troops flee
"Tanks are deployed around Harat al-Shwam (district) but they haven't been able to go in. They tried a week ago," said an activist who lives near the area and who asked not to be named.
Government forces launched airstrikes around Damascus Saturday, flattening buildings. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
Big power conflicts
Brahimi, who will visit Beijing after Moscow, said the renewed violence in Syria would not discourage him.
"We think this civil war must end ... and the new Syria has to be built by all its sons," he said. "The support of Russia and other members of the Security Council is indispensable."
Russia and China have vetoed three Western-backed U.N. draft resolutions condemning Assad's government for the violence.
Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com
Beijing has been keen to show it does not take sides in Syria and has urged the government there to talk to the opposition and take steps to meet demands for political change. It has said a transitional government should be formed.
Big-power rifts have paralyzed U.N. action over Syria, but Assad's political and armed opponents are also deeply divided, a problem that their Western allies say has complicated efforts to provide greater support.
NBC News
People resisting the army of President Bashar al-Assad in northern Syria cope with loss and prepare for fighting.
"There has been a lack of desire to take the tough decisions," said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center think tank.
Experts: Greece riskier for investors than war-torn Syria
"In Washington, they've only been focused on the narrow political goal of their own elections, trying to convince a war-wary public inside the U.S. that we are actually disengaging from the conflicts of the Middle East," he said.
Syrian opposition figures, including Free Syrian Army commanders, started three days of talks in Istanbul on Monday in the latest attempt to unite the disparate groups.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
I would really like to experience living in a world where there is no more violence any where in the world. Here in the United States we have our share of problems, Lords knows. But I get so sick and tired of seeing, and reading about the fighting in these oither countries. The suffering and mass killings. People fighting for their basic human rights to learn and become educated, pratice religion they choose, to speak their own native lanuage. Why does man have to dominate one race aganist another? We are all pretty much the same, we come into the world much the same and our departure is the same. So all the stuff in between does not matter!
All that stuff in the middle are our own personal accomplishments , when we leave from here we take none of this stuff with us. When I go to funerals I have never seen someone's master degree in their casket, their home, their car, nor any of all their possessions....
So why all this world domination I would like for Mr. Asad, to leave the Kurds "Alone" and let them live, they should be able to pratice, their rights in the country.
All this killing over religion is just depressing. I have learned, what you call him, how you worship.. God loves us all... Our small minds cannot concieve the Love God has for us ..
Here I agree with commies. Religion is opium of masses. Religion in high dosages have been bad for all in the history of religions! Non-Islamic religions have seen them all!
We can't help Muslims here. No one will listen to us due to high Islamic heroin addictions.
Muslims can only help themselves, and they're heading rapidly downhill in they eyes of the civilized world. Oh well.
It's a testament to the brainwashing capabilities of public schools that they can produce completely unthinking, docile individuals who are positively terrified at the idea of ever caring about something enough to the point where they might have to actually upset the rest of the herd and defend it.
Very well said Norma!
These rebels are just common religious terrorists. Under no circumstances we should be helping them. They want to create another Islamic state in the ME.
Having a truce broken in the land of taquia is no real surprise. Probably the only religion with built in lying as part of their creed.
How do you say "Tet" in Syrian?
At least this time, we need not make Sunni Saudis and co winners by dancing to the tunes set by Sunni Saudis, oil companies, extremist Jewish lobby and their lobbyists as we did with Iraqi wars.
To weaken the seventh century Sunni Saudi Islamic haters and killers, remove the sanctions on Iranian oil to crash oil prices.
Centuries old Shiites vs Sunni battles are not our. Let them decide whose Allah is greater!
Even Jews, especially Israel, need to have patience. We will certainly worry about the winner.
As I am an 100 percent infidel, I support (only moral) Shiites, Kurds, Sufis, and other Muslim infidel sects and tribes.
No one kill better than Muslims. So let them do their Islamic cleaning process well.
If Sunnis can’t tolerate a very good leader, like Assad, then Shiites should not accept Sunni rulers either. Sunni rulers have been treating girls, women, Shiites, Sufis, Ahemdias and minorities worse than slaves.
Time has come for all of us to stand up and battle for liberations from Sunni barbarians and beasts.
So this means Shiites should ask for their Shiastans wherever they form more than 10 percent.
They should start their liberation struggles from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan (20 percent), Qatar, Oman and other places which have Sunni rulers.
What a bunch of cowards Shiites are? They talk big, act big and show their bravery before unarmed minorities like Jews, women and others. Then they add their dances when they stone them.
Shiites of Iraq should side with Kurds and should stop oil supplies to Turkey for supporting the Sunni Islamic extremists like al-Qaida, MB in Syria.
Shiites of Bahrain should overthrow their autocratic, corrupt and despotic Sunni ruler.
As they have been taking blows and killings by Sunnis, these Sunnis are able to act as they like to Shiites.
Shiites of Iran should side with Assad and see that all the Sunni rebels are eliminated.
What are the brave Hezbollah doing?
They should do suicide bombings in Mecca and Medina. Or else Shiites genocides just like the genocides of non-Muslims by the Sunni Islamic religious Nazis will continue.
"If Sunnis can’t tolerate a very good leader, like Assad"
Are you nuts? Assad the Butcher is just that, a Butcher. He has killed tens of thousands of his own people, thinking of himself, in his twisted glory of genocide in vain to stay in power. Assad the Butcher is worse than Saddam and Gadhafi put together, the most wicked leader in the ME and should die a harsh death for his inhumane crimes of setting torture chambers all across syria to torture even children to death for wanting freedom, children have had their body parts cut off and/or burned to death, and you call this wicked mass murderer a good leader?
John, Where is your proof that he did this? You forget he has only been in power since 2001 or so while Saddam and Ghaddafi were in power for decades. Ghaddafi attacked us with the lockerby bomber, Saddam started the Iran-Iraq war, invaded Kuwait, fought 6 different insurections until we beat him in 2003. How is Assad worse than them? By the way Assad the Butcher as you call him is this current president's father genius. Wrong Assad.
John M.
"He has killed tens of thousands of his own people"
Hope there is a difference between thousands and millions! Sunni Saudi version of Islam have killed millions of non-Muslims and thousands of Muslims.
Hope you know this also.
If atrocities and barbarism on girls, children and women are the criteria, then the most despotic, autocratic and bigoted Sunni Saudi ruler with his 5000 princes and princesses, Kuwaiti, UAE and other Arab League Sunni rulers and their rich sheiks are the biggest culprits in the history.
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Sunni Saudi backed Salaffi and MB new chapters are opening up in Egypt. Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni Saudis and co are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones. Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
This will only stop when others do not think they are better then everyone else. Religions fighting one another, sects murdering other sects, terrorists blowing other folks up with bombs in cars or on backs. These people have zero common sense whatsoever. Everyone needs to live their lives and NOT trod on others, period. Also the fact that many World leaders, Religions want to impose their wills on everyone they possibly can with fear and tyranny. This has been going on throughout history of Man. People that promote violence, hatred and bigotry are the Worlds enemy! If you can not think for yourself then your the problem. Wake up Mankind.
Assad the Butcher is playing by maddog Gadhafi playbook, agree to a creasefire then use it to increase the genocide. Assad the Butcher should be hunted down by syrians and hanged like Saddam or killed like Gadhafi, better yet, Assad the Butcher should do like hitler and put a bullet into his own head.
Some never learn from past mistakes. US and NATO forces have not won a major war since WWII.
If they are all so easy as you mention then there was no need to run away from Iraq after two Iraqi wars.
Now some like McCains, Romneys, Libermanns, Hillarys need to plan how run from Afghanistan.
Even for running, huge forces to cover the withdrawing forces were used in Iraq and it will be worse in Afghanistan.
What likes of you could do in Banghazi?
Hope you people remember that Iraqi wars have crippled the US and NATO forces.
Afghan war has almost made NATO forces and top leaders a bunch of jokers!
It is only matter of time before McCains, Romneys, Bushes, Chennys, Netanyahus, Libermanns, Hillarys dance in their homes with no one listening or caring!
Why don't you just put a bullet in your head then? The fact that you use violence to progress means you are no different then Assad. Violence begets Violence until humanity can understand this one truth we will always slaughter one another. You believe yourself justified but your aim is no different you need a government and if your truly optimistic to believe that the new syria will be a beacon of freedom you are just pathetic.
The bear from the north. The dragon from the east. The eagle from the west. The lion from the south.
One thing I will give Obama credit for and that is not getting involved in this Muslim nonsense,not much else though.
So what day did the Blood Thirsty followers of satan have their "truce?" The day that only 20 people DIED or the one where 40 DIED. He's laughing out loud at these deceived FOOLS.
If they didn't honor the earlier truce, why on earth did anyone expect them to honor this one.
It is truly amazing these Muslim's can keep this up. They hate each other so much simply due to my Muhammad is better than your Muhammad ideology. Sunni/Shia/Alawite, the list is endless all with the ultimate truth and all of the others relegated to infidels and must be destroyed. Makes perfect sense if you don't think about it too much.