Damascus Airport Now a Battlezone

Fighting in the Syrian capital continues to intensify

Rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared Damascus International Airport a battle zone on Friday, warning civilians and airlines they would approach it "at their own risk".

Fighting around the capital city has intensified over the past week, prompting predictions among Western opponents of Assad that an endgame is approaching in a 20-month-old conflict that has killed 40,000 people.