Report: Violent clashes erupt between Syrian troops, rebels in Damascus

Doctors try to save the life of a severely wounded Free Syrian Army fighter during fighting against government troops in Idlib, north Syria, Saturday, March 10, 2012. U.N. envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday in Damascus during a high-profile international mission to mediate an end to the country's yearlong conflict. (AP Photo)

(JPost) Violent clashes broke out between Syrian troops and armed rebels in Damascus on Sunday, Al Jazaeera reported. Activists said that at least 40 people had been gunned down by Syrian security forces in cities throughout the country, with most casualties occurring in Idlib.

Activists said that battles between government troops and the Free Syria Army, which is opposed to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad, erupted in the Rukn Al-Din area in central Damascus. Gunshots were heard throughout the city, according to witnesses.

Syrian troops upped an offensive on the rebel stronghold in northwestern Idlib on Sautrday, in clashes that killed at least 16 rebel fighters, seven soldiers and four civilians.