Syrian airstrikes kill at least 7 outside Damascus
Syrian airstrikes killed at least seven people in a suburb of Damascus on Friday, as government troops battled rebels in several districts along the eastern edge of the capital, activists said.
President Bashar Assad's forces have been seeking for months to solidify its hold on Damascus by dislodging rebels from the towns and neighborhoods on the city's fringes. The government has used twin tactics to achieve its aims: blockading rebellious areas to pressure them into submission and unleashing artillery and airstrikes on districts that refuse to bend. (AP)
