Helicopter gun battle near Damascus shatters nationwide ceasefire
Beirut — Clashes erupted between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters outside Damascus on Friday, despite a nationwide truce that began at midnight, a monitor said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not clear who had started the clashes in the Wadi Barada region. "Clashes erupted and are continuing... in Wadi Barada near Damascus, with helicopters firing on positions belonging to the opposition and Fateh al-Sham Front," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Fateh al-Sham Front is the former Al-Qaeda affiliate previously known as Al-Nusra Front, which Syria’s government said was excluded from the truce that began early Friday. Syria’s opposition however have said they understood the truce to apply to all of Syria, including areas where Fateh al-Sham is present. Abdel Rahman said the clashes were a "violation of the truce, but it is not clear which party is responsible for starting it." A resident of the area said he heard heavy shelling ...
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