Scattered gun fights sound ‘Battle for Damascus’

RSS Feed

Scattered gun fights sound ‘Battle for Damascus’

July 18th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Russia Today
17 July, 2012

Heavy gunfire continues in the Syrian capital despite official reports that Damascus was fully cleared from armed militants on Tuesday morning. RT’s Maria Finoshina says that blasts can be heard close to the city center.

On Tuesday evening, Syrian officials once again stated Damascus was clear following intensive fighting. Several armed groups infiltrated the capital and attempted to instigate unrest in several districts during the day, Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said.

“Some of the fighters have surrendered, the others have escaped by cars or even on foot, firing rounds into the air to scare residents,” al-Zoubi added, as quoted by Interfax.

At the same time, the Free Syrian Army insists that its fighters have downed one of the regime’s battle helicopters over the northeast of Damascus.

“Helicopters are flying at low altitude. It’s easy to target them using anti-aircraft weapons,” a senior rebel officer told Reuters, adding that the helicopter was shot down in the district of Qaboun.

Assad’s military has left the report unconfirmed, though witnesses in the capital say they saw a chopper going down in smoke.

Doesn’t look like a final battle – RT’s reporter in Damascus

RT’s correspondent Maria Finoshina reports helicopters firing is clearly heard in the capital’s central district of Mezra‬. Still, the intensity of fighting inside the capital is nowhere near the level she experienced during last weeks assault on Douma, some 14 km from the capital, where she remembers her hotel windows shaking from the fierce exchanges.

Though occasional shooting in ‪Damascus‬ continues and armed soldiers are patrolling the streets, “it doesn’t seem like final or decisive battle for capital.”