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               Syrian Rebels, Government Troops Clash in Damascus

   by VOA News

   A Syrian activist group says heavy fighting has erupted between rebels
   and government troops in the capital.
   The Britain-based [1]Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the
   fighting started Sunday and continued into Monday in the Damascus
   neighborhoods of Tadamon and Yarmuk, which is near a Palestinian
   refugee camp.
   Activists say government jets have bombarded several other Damascus
   enclaves.
   Syria's fractured opposition factions began key talks Sunday aimed at
   forming a united front to gain international recognition and bolster
   their chances to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
   The first four days of meetings in the Qatari capital, Doha, are
   focused on transforming the Syrian National Council, the largest
   opposition group outside Syria, into a representative
   government-in-exile.
   SNC leaders said the group is expected to expand from about 200 members
   to 400.
   A separate meeting of the wider opposition movement in Doha aims to
   form a united coalition that includes rebel fighters and others inside
   Syria.
   The Syrian conflict is entering its 20th month and has caused the
   deaths of an estimated 36,000 people.
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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-rebels-government-troops-clash
   -in-damascus/1539389.html

References

   1. http://www.syriahr.org/
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-rebels-government-troops-clash-in-damascus/1539389.html