Damascus: Mid-day news update 4-25-13

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:

* Residential buildings in flames in Barzeh due to mortar shelling. More than 30 shells have landed so far, and anti-aircraft machine guns were used again in the city as well.

* [The army] surrounds the Jobardistrict with tanks.

* A shell lands on the State Security building in al-Mujtahed neighborhood, resulting in material damage only.

* Regime forces storm and inspect Bustan al-Dour area and some parts of Roket a-Deen.

Outer Damascus:

* The [Syrian] air force bombs several areas in Eastern Ghouta and the cities of Darayya and Mouadamiyah. The air force has also targeted the city of Yabroud in al-Kalamoon. Several people were injured.

* Seven corpses of displaced Syrians from Darayya and Mouadamiyah were found in al-Khaiyat building in Jedaydat al-Fadel.

* Clashes occur in JedaydatArtooz, under heavy bombardment.

* Artillery bombardment targets the northern area of al-Nabik city.

Politics:

* The former head of the Syrian Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Moaz al-Khatib, calls upon Hezbollah’s General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, to withdraw all of his forces from Syria to avoid turning the conflict into a sectarian war.