Syria: Fierce fighting in Damascus, 37 dead
On August 22, fighting between government forces and the Syrian opposition erupted again in the south of the capital Damascus, killing at least 37 people.
Syrian state news agency (SANA) quoted official sources as saying that government forces clashed with an armed terrorist group in the suburbs of Damascus, confiscating many weapons and discovering a bomb-making facility.
Meanwhile, according to unverified sources, the Syrian army, with the support of tanks and helicopters, has pushed back opposition forces from the southern area of the capital, which is considered their base.
Syrians search for survivors in the rubble after clashes in the city of Marea on August 21. (Source: AFP/VNA)
In the battle hot spots of Aleppo and Daraa, witnesses said fighting continued fiercely.
Opposition forces claim to have taken control of an intelligence office and a checkpoint in the town of Anbu Caman (Albu Kamal) on the border with Iraq. However, in reality, government forces still hold most of the town.
Regarding Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed support for US President Barack Obama's view with a warning that the Syrian government's threat to use chemical weapons against opposition forces could force the West to consider a different approach to resolving the crisis in this country.
In a phone call with Mr. Obama, both men said that the use of chemical weapons was completely unacceptable.
Previously, Mr. Cameron also had a phone call with French President Francois Hollande to seek to unify the West's stance on supporting the Syrian opposition against President Bashar Al Assad.
However, Russia has asked the West not to seek to confuse the Syria issue with statements hinting at the possibility of using military action against Damascus.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there should be no outside interference and the only thing the international community should do now is to create the necessary foundations for starting dialogue.
In a press release on August 23, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the government will provide emergency humanitarian aid of 30 million yuan (4.76 million USD) to refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.
The aid will be divided into two tranches and will soon be transferred to Jordan and Lebanon to help the governments of these two countries address the Syrian refugee problem and improve their living conditions.
Last March, Beijing provided $2 million in cash to support the Syrian people through the International Committee of the Red Cross./.
According to (TTXVN) - DT
