The Syrian capital Damascus came under intense fire today in some of the heaviest fighting of the conflict so far.
Mortar and small-arms fire was reported by activists and residents in several areas as government forces clashed with the Free Syrian Army.
The international Red Cross yesterday said the country was now involved in a civil war — which has implications for potential war crimes prosecutions.
UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was today due to meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov for talks on the crisis.
Mr Annan is expected to urge Russia to help pressure the Syrian authorities to begin a political transition. Russia, which said last week that it would oppose any UN motion to use force in Syria, has so far been backing Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Today Mr Lavrov said threats to discontinue the 300-strong UN unarmed mission to Syria if Russia does not agree to allow the West to use force in the country amount to “blackmail”.
