Heavy Fighting Continues in Damascus

Indiscriminate bombing causing a sharp rise in civilian casualties

There has been further heavy fighting in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo.

Activists said government forces were closing in on Hajar al-Aswad, a southern suburb of Damascus, and the situation for residents was desperate.

State media said troops had killed many of what they called "terrorists".

Earlier, Amnesty International warned that indiscriminate air and artillery strikes were causing a dramatic rise in civilian casualties in Idlib and Hama.