Syrian rebels clash at Damascus doorstep

Rebel forces inched closer to entering the Syrian capital Saturday, trading fire with government troops in a Damascus suburb, an opposition spokesman said. Free Syrian Army rebels are fighting along three fronts in the suburb of Jawbar, CNN reported. "If we capture the area it means we have reached the heart of the capital," said Baraa, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Military Council who gave only his first name. "It means we can cross into Damascus," he said. "We expect very intense fighting over the next several days," Baraa added, noting snipers were positioned on many buildings and tanks were in the area. The FSA is now in control of a majority of Jawbar, the opposition Damascus Media Office said. The Assad regime is shelling the suburb with fighter jets and missiles. Syrian state media said government forces had inflicted heavy losses in the Damascus suburbs and were pursuing armed terrorist groups in the area. Fighting began Saturday morning in al-Raqa province near the Syrian border with Turkey, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Some 125 people had been killed across Syria on Friday, the Local Coordination Committees for Syria reported.