Damascus: Mid-day news update 4-24-13

April 24, 2013

The update from Damascus and its suburbs is provided by Shahed News, a network of vetted Syrian citizen journalists providing independent, accurate and reliable news from Damascus and its suburbs.

Damascus:

* Continuous mortar shelling on Barzah and al-Qabon neighborhoods. Government forces made raids in Masakin Barzah, near al-Hakeem mosque.

Outer Damascus:

* Regime forces target Darayya city in addition to air raids.

* Shelling is continuous on Muadamyat A Sham, with mortars and missile strikes, injuries reported.

* Mortars and strikes target the neighborhoods of Az-Zaybeyeh, A-Sabieneh, and Zamalka.

Politics:

* American President Barak Obama agrees with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifeh Al Thani on Tuesday to give more support for the Syrian opposition in the coming months.

* Two Sunni Muslim sheikhs in Lebanon, Ahmad Al Aseer and Salem Al Rafe’I, call Muslims for jihad in Syria to protect the Syrian people. The call follows intensified clashes with Hezbollah in the Al-Qusayr area near the border with Lebanon.