Heavy explosions shook the Syrian capital Damascus today and helicopters circled overhead as rebels appeared to be renewing their offensive in the city, witnesses and activists said.

Meanwhile, Syrian forces clashed with rebels around Aleppo’s television and radio station today, activists said, and a local rebel commander said his fighters were preparing for a “strong offensive” by government forces on the country’s largest city.

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Syrian rebels stepped up an offensive against government troops Thursday, using a captured tank to bomb a military air base in the commercial capital Aleppo as regime forces in the capital, Damascus, unleashed new raids against them.

President Bashar al-Assad’s troops retaliated in Aleppo by pounding the strategic Salaheddine district with tank and artillery fire as rebels tried to consolidate their hold on areas they have seized.

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Yemeni officials say Al-Qaida militants launched an attack on a security headquarters in a southern town the group controlled until recently, gunning down four soldiers.

Officials say Wednesday’s dawn attack took place in Jaar, which the military recaptured from al-Qaeda in June.

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Syrian rebels have attacked key military targets and over-run two police stations in Aleppo, killing 40 officers, an observer group says.

Clashes between the rebels and loyalists of President Bashar al-Assad were also reported in the capital Damascus, the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and Daraa in the south, cradle of the more than 16-month uprising.

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100,000 troops put on standby as Turkish army units are moving toward Syrian border on Monday.

Turkey is deploying more troops to the border, sending tanks, armored combat vehicles, more missile launchers and infantry troops, the state-run Anadolu agency reported.

Turkish local press reports said Monday that all units of the Turkish Land Forces’ 2nd Army Command have been put on standby.

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