Damascus rocked by fighting

Fierce clashes between rebel troops and Syrian forces rocked a Damascus district bristling with security facilities on Monday, activists said, even as the capital was reeling from deadly weekend bombings.

The fighting, the heaviest in Damascus since a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's regime erupted a year ago, comes as a mission sent by UN-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan was headed to Syria for talks on a monitoring operation to end the bloodshed. (AFP)