70 Syrians killed in clashes as rebels edge closer to Damascus

Activists say Syrian regime's offensive in Homs is the most violent of the current conflict Seventy Syrians have been killed nationwide in violent clashes between governmental troops and the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA). Revolutionary groups claimed they were closer to capital Damascus than ever before, with activists publishing pictures showing rebels destroying a military barrier and an armoured vehicle in the Sheikh Raslan area.
Elsewhere, government troops continued to launch fierce attacks on the rebel-controlled Syrian governorate of Raqqa, while clashes continued in Homs and Aleppo. Activists said that Homs has been the target of a military campaign from the regime, describing it as the "most violent campaign" since the beginning of the war two years ago.
Local coordination committees said that government forces were blindly attacking civilian neighbourhoods, killing hundreds of people.
Shaam News Network said that the Syrian aircraft had mounted a major assault on several eastern neighbourhoods in Aleppo, while the Free Syrian Army had prevented government forces from storming the Lebanese town of Marat al-Arteek.
In Damascus, Daria city council issued a statement confirming that regime forces had been sending military equipment from Mezzeh Military Airport to Daria, to restore control in the Syrian town.
Meanwhile, Free Syrian Army leader Brigadier General Salim Idris said that revolutionary forces need anti-aircraft missiles and weapons to defend the Syrian civilians. He stressed that the crisis would only be resolved if President Bashar al-Assad stepped down from his position. He expressed concern for five million displaced Syrians "suffering from difficult living conditions," adding that there are more than a million Syrian refugees living in neighbouring states.
On the diplomatic front, members of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said that they would meet in Istanbul on Tuesday to elect a temporary government. They added that the decision has been taken after former Prime Minister Riyad Hijab withdrew his nomination amid pressure from Islamists and liberals opposed concerned about his relations with Assad’s regime.
An SNC member said: "The council would meet in Istanbul on March 12, 13." He added that the withdrawal of Hijab’s nomination is one of the main reasons for the delay in the meeting which had initially been scheduled for Saturday.
Sources said that Syrian National Council, a large block in the coalition, had chosen three candidates for the role of prime minister. These were named as Salim al-Maslat, Burhan Ghalioun, and Osama Kadi.
Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign ministry announced that high-profile diplomats from the US and Russia would meet in London to discuss the Syrian crisis. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov is scheduled to meet UN envoy to Syria Syria Lakhdar Brahimi to discuss the Syrian crisis.
On the humanitarian side, French NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on the Syrian government to allow medical aid to enter areas dominated by the Syrian opposition. It said regime forces need to suspend governmental attacks that target the hospitals and the doctors in these areas.
Speaking at a news conference in Dubai, MSF Director General Fillipe Ribeiro said: "We call for respecting the health institutions and the hospitals, and call on the Syrian government to help us in delivering the humanitarian aids and not to use these aids to smuggle weapons."