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35 killed as Syria opens new front in Damascus

At least 35 people, including children, were killed as Syrian forces backed by combat helicopters battled rebels in a new front in and around east Damascus today, a monitoring group said.

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At least 35 people, including children, were killed as Syrian forces backed by combat helicopters battled rebels in a new front in and around east Damascus today, a monitoring group said.

Rebels from the Free Syrian Army claimed to have downed a military helicopter in the district of Qaboon during heavy shelling and fierce fighting that also engulfed nearby Jubar as well as several towns outside the capital.

In the single deadliest incident, 12 people including children died in shelling in the town of Zamalka, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

An amateur video distributed by the Britain-based watchdog showed several bloodied bodies, some with their hands bound with rope, lined up on the ground in a small room.

"It's forbidden for the regime to kill us with chemical weapons," said the unidentified activist filming the video, in reference to Western warnings to President Bashar al-Assad not to resort to his chemicals weapons arsenal.

"But they can kill us with bombs."

The Observatory reports and the authenticity of the video could not be verifed because of the severe restrictions on media operating in Syria.

"Effectively the army is going from west to east around Damascus, while we are trying to get back into the city, this time in a more organised way," a rebel commander who identified himself only as Selim told AFP.

The increasing brutal conflict, which had been largely concentrated in the provinces, first hit Damascus with a vengeance last month when fierce battles erupted across the southern belt of the capital.

Troops then launched a major offensive on districts seized by rebels, claiming to to have the city back under its control on August 4.

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