SYRIA AT WAR

Syrian rebels on Thursday seized control of most of Aleppo's central prison, freeing hundreds of detainees, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Nusra Front (brigades) have taken control of 80 percent of Aleppo central prison and freed hundreds of prisoners," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that fighting was ongoing in the prison.

Syrian soldiers man a checkpoint at the entrance to the al-Karama area in the central restive city of Homs, May 2. UN observers said they were having a "calming" impact on the ground as Syrian rebels killed 22 troops in the army's deadliest day of a shaky three-week-old ceasefire deal

Syrian rebels and government troops seem to be preparing for a major battle in the city of Aleppo

Syrian rebels run to take position in the Bustan al-Basha district in the northern city of Aleppo. Almost 150 people died on the first day of a barely-observed truce between the warring parties in Syria, a watchdog said, adding that a fresh clashes on Saturday claimed more lives

A Shaam News Network image shows the destroyed Muhazzab Rajub mall in the central Syrian city of Homs. AFP is not in a position to independently verify this image.

A handout from the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows smoke billowing from Qusayr after it was shelled by Syrian forces on July 3, 2012. Army rocket fire on a central Syrian village has killed at least 12 people including women and children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as warplanes attacked rebel enclaves near Qusayr

A Shaam News Network picture said to show damage in Khaled bin Walid mosque in the al-Khalidiyah area of Homs on July 22. State television said the army now controlled most of the Khaldiyeh district and broadcast footage of the destruction, including rubble-strewn streets and bodies it reported were of fighters.

A handout picture released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows damages in the district of Juret al-Shayah in the flashpoint city of Homs on July 3. AFP cannot independently verify this image. China has joined Russia in boycotting a "Friends of Syria" meeting aimed at coordinating efforts to stop violence in the country.

Picture from the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network, April 20, shows a girl flashing "V" sign for victory during an anti-regime demonstration in Talbisseh, Homs province. AFP is using pictures from alternative sources as it was not authorised to cover this event and is not responsible for any alterations that cannot be independently verified 

Source:   Yahoo news maktoob

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