As the Syrian revolt enters its 10th month, the pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has been increasing. Additionally, the death toll among civilians and members of the security and military forces is on the rise, with conflicting reports on the number of dead on Wednesday.

Activists reported that the government militia (”Chabihah”) stormed Hama to end the general strike, but encountered resistance from dissidents from the army. Activists said Syrian troops backed by tanks killed at least ten people when they stormed yesterday the city of Hama.

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Rival militias in an area south-west of the Libyan capital have exchanged heavy gunfire after a dispute flared up between them, killing at least four people, say local residents.

They said the latest flare-up began when El-Mashasha fighters killed a militia commander from Zintan on Sunday as his convoy tried to pass through a nearby town.

Journalists for the Reuters news agency in Wamis, about 190km from Tripoli, said on Monday the fighting was between members of the El-Mashasha tribe, based around the town, and fighters from the larger town of Zintan in the mountains to the north.

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According to news reports coming from Taleeh fighting erupted between two ethnic groups, one pro-Somaliland and the other supporting the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

The two groups clashed at the outskirts of Taleeh village which lies east of Sool province and 180km away from Las Anod, Sool’s provincial capital.Fighting left casualties including loss of life and injuries sustained by the two sides that engaged in armed war.

The pro-Somaliland group ambushed officials from Puntland president who were en route to Taleeh while they were escorted with battle wagons.

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The Arakan Liberation Army, or ALA, has recently clashed with a Burmese army unit in a confrontation on the frontlines in Paletwa Township in southern Chin State in Burma, said a spokesperson for the ALA.

The ALA is the armed wing of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) that is based in the triangle border area of Burma, Bangladesh, and India.

“The confrontation happened between our forces led by Lieutenant Khine Soe Naing and Burmese troops led by Major Khin Maung Than from LIB 344 based in Sittwe, around 5:30 pm on 27 November between Khamaungwa and Kintalin Villages in Paletwa Township. We heard there was a casualty on the Burmese side, but nothing happened to our forces,” said Khaing Thukha, Secretary 2 of the ALP.

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Hundreds of army defectors in southern Syria have fought with tank-backed loyalist forces in one of the biggest armed confrontations in a nine-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, residents and activists said.

Troops, mainly from the 12th Armoured Brigade, based in Isra, 40km from the border with Jordan, stormed the nearby town of Busra al-Harir, the Reuters news agency reported.

The sound of explosions and heavy machine guns was heard in Busra al-Harir and in Lujah, an area of rocky hills north of the town, where defectors have been hiding and attacking military supply lines.

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Syrians on Friday took to the streets including in the “capital of revolt” Homs. At least 36 people were killed in clashes with security forces, most of them in Homs.

Opposition activists had called on citizens to take to the streets in support of a “dignity strike… which will lead to the sudden death of this tyrant regime.”

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Heavy battle between Somalia’s interim federal government backing by African Union peace keeping troops and Al-shabaab militants flared up parts of capital Mogadishu, residents and reports said on Thursday.

The fighting erupted early hours on Thursday in Mogadishu’s Karan and Hilwa districts and neighboring outskirts between Islamist insurgents and pro-government forces aiding by AMISOM soldiers and al-Shabaab in the area, causing unidentified damages and casualties, since the combat is still going on.

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