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Friday, Nov 23, 2012 8:30 AM UTC

Syrian troops bomb southern parts of capital

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Syrian troops bomb southern parts of capitalIn this Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 photo, Syrian rebel fighters prepare to fire a homemade rocket as they carry out a coordinated attack by hundreds of rebel fighters on a Syrian air force compound during heavy clashes on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria. There is a struggle for power among rebel factions in Syria with Islamists rejecting the country's new Western-backed opposition coalition and unilaterally declaring an Islamic state in the key battleground of Aleppo though all of the groups are fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras) (Credit: AP)

BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say Syrian troops have shelled southern neighborhoods of the capital as they try to advance in rebel-held areas.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the shelling of Tadamon and Hajar Aswad came as government troops conducted raids in the central Damascus neighborhood of Bab Sreijeh.

The violence came as Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani arrived in Damascus on Friday. He is expected to meet President Bashar Assad.

Iran is Assad’s strongest ally in the region.

Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011 with an uprising against Assad’s regime, inspired by other Arab Spring revolts. The crisis has since morphed into a civil war. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the unrest, according to activists.

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