Syrian rebels have attacked a village in the country’s east, killing dozens of local Shiites, activists said Wednesday, highlighting the increasingly sectarian nature of Syria’s more than two-year-old conflict. A Syrian government official denounced the attack, saying it was a “massacre” of civilians.

In another escalation, a Syrian government helicopter on Wednesday fired three missiles on a border town in Lebanon, lightly wounding one person. At least one of the missiles struck the center of Arsal, according to Lebanese security officials and residents.

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Syria’s army launched multiple attacks on rebel positions on Tuesday in the northern province of Aleppo, including insurgent-held areas of a key airbase, a monitoring group said.

Syrian government forces shelled parts of the Minnigh military airbase a day after rebels seized its strategic radar tower, months into a battle for the site in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“Parts of Minnigh military airbase were shelled by regime forces… Rebels are in control of large swathes of the airbase,” the Britain-based Observatory said.

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Syrian government troops are reportedly preparing a major offensive on Aleppo, the country’s largest city and former economic hub.

The assault on rebel-held parts of the city — called “Operation Northern Storm” — is expected to begin within days, if not hours, media reported, citing a Syrian security official.

“It is likely the battle for Aleppo will start in the coming hours or days, and its aim is to reclaim the towns and villages in the province,” a Syrian government source told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity.

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The last rebel stronghold near the strategic town of Qusair, western Syria, has fallen to government forces, Syrian state TV says.

Eastern Bouweida village, which lies between Qusair and the restive city of Homs was captured by troops backed by militants from Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The Syrian army regained control of the town of Qusair on Wednesday after weeks of intense fighting with rebel forces.

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A day after Syrian rebels lost the strategic and symbolic town of Qusair to the Syrian army, they thought they had gained control of the Quneitra crossing into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Thursday.

Their victory, however, was short-lived as Israeli security sources said Syrian troops took back the crossing after heavy fighting.

Earlier, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a spokesman for the Austrian Defense Ministry reported that rebels had taken the crossing, according to Reuters.

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