Syria warplanes bomb Palestinian camp

16 Dec 2012, 11:52 pm   -   Source: AAP
Syrian army is deploying reinforcements to storm rebel-held areas near Damascus, officials say. (AAP)

Syrian army is deploying reinforcements to storm rebel-held areas near Damascus, officials say. (AAP)

Warplanes have bombarded a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus for the first time since the start of Syria's more than 21-month conflict.

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Warplanes have bombarded a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus for the first time since the start of Syria's more than 21-month conflict, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Warplanes staged an air strike on an area near Al-Bassel hospital ... in Yarmuk camp, hurting several people," said the Observatory. According to initial reports cited by the watchdog, there may also have been people killed in the strike.

The air strike on Yarmuk was the sixth on Sunday on flashpoint districts in southern Damascus, the Britain-based watchdog said.

Warplanes also bombarded the nearby districts of Al-Hajar al-Aswad and Assali, scene of intense fighting between troops and rebels, it added.

"The army feels it has to step up its campaign to suppress the insurgency in southern Damascus, and that it cannot fight off rebels without resorting to air power," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"As for the Palestinians, they are divided over the conflict, and are fighting on both sides," he added.

On Saturday, Syrian warplanes bombarded the town of Moadamiyat al-Sham, southwest of Damascus, while the army deployed reinforcements and attempted to storm the rebel-held town of Daraya, the Observatory said.

In Daraya, rebels held out against fierce army attempts to break in on several fronts.

"This is the 28th day the criminal (President Bashar al-) Assad's forces have attempted to break into the town," read a statement from activists in Daraya.

Clashes also erupted in the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk in the south of the capital between rebels and troops backed by pro-regime Palestinian fighters, the Observatory reported.

The outskirts of Damascus have been at the heart of fighting this month as the regime launches operations to reclaim territory within eight kilometres of the city.

In northern Damascus, the army foiled an attempted car bomb attack, state television said.

"Army forces deactivated a car bomb laden with 1000 kilograms of explosives in Barzeh," the broadcaster said.

Meanwhile, the rebels came close to scoring a significant victory in the northern province of Aleppo - a fierce battleground for several months - as they captured large parts of an infantry academy in Muslimiyeh, north of the embattled city of Aleppo, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory.

"This is one of the most important military academies in all of Syria," he added, noting that rebels have seized control of some two thirds of the academy complex.

At least 24 rebel fighters, including Abu Furat, a top rebel commander in the province of Aleppo, and 20 regime troops were killed in the battle for the academy on Saturday.

The Observatory said 103 people were killed across Syria on Saturday, among them 27 civilians, 46 rebels and 30 soldiers.

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