Syrian Revolution News Round- up / Day 574 : Rebel fighters seize control of three more military points in Idlib

Rebel fighters seized control of three more military checkpoints after unleashing a large-scale offensive in the Idlib suburb of Ma’arrat Noman. Dozens of detainees were executed by regime forces before withdrawing from the Cultural Centre checkpoint.

In response, regime fighter jets launched indiscriminate aerial strikes on residential areas in the town of Ma’arrat Noman leaving at least 13 civilians dead mostly women and children raising the total death toll in the province of Idlib to 57, including seven women and 13 children.

Al-Nusra Front claimed responsibility for the bombings in the Air Force Intelligence compound in the Damascus suburb of Harasta followed by a barrage of mortar fire causing severe damage to the building and killing most of those who were inside and others who rushed in for rescue.

A series of explosions were also reported in Damascus in the neighbourhoods of Qabun, Qadam and Nahar Aisha in the capital followed by intense clashes. Meanwhile, regime forces continued detonating and bulldozing residential buildings in the neighbourhoods of Qabun, Barzeh and Tadamon.

Regime forces shelled more than 13 different towns in the province of Daraa. At least 34 civilians were killed in town of Karak Sharqi when regime forces opened fire on a number of busses carrying injured civilians trying to flee the violence, while seven more bodies appear to have been executed were discovered in the town of Izraa. The town of Karak Sharqi was then declared a “disaster area” after three days of intense shelling and fighting with rebel fighters. Regime forces invaded the town using kidnapped children and women as human shields thus forcing the rebels to withdraw.

In Aleppo, heavy fighting was reported in the vicinity of Aleppo Citadel while the fierce shelling resumed throughout the city and its suburbs as regime forces shelled more than 23 different locations leaving at least 36 people dead including women and children who died after targeting a bakery in the neighbourhood of Marjeh and a fruit market in the neighbourhood of Tariq al-Bab.Scores of civilians died and many more were injured while dozens of houses were destroyed, thus prompting a mass exodus as regime forces resumed their attacks on several areas in the suburbs of Damascus, Homs, Deir Azzour, Hama, Raqqa, and Latakia.