Damascus: Mid-day update 6-6-2013

Damascus:

* Regime forces tighten the grip on the citizens of Barzeh Residences, and use concrete barriers to close the road to the Officers’ Club near the bakery. The only way to get in or out is through the main road, after the Agriculture Faculty road was closed a few days ago.

* Heavy bombardment on the Barzeh district with tanks and artillery from Mount Qasioun at a rate of more than one shell per minute. Smoke plumes rise from several locations in the district, and artillery bombardment strikes Tishreen neighborhood.

* Heavy artillery bombardment targets the industrial area in al-Qaboon.

Outer Damascus:

* Regime forces heavily bomb the city of Harasta and heavy artillery bombardment hits the borders of Zamalka, near the Southern Highway. In addition to that, the Air Force carries out 2 sequenced airstrikes on the road between Zamalka and Ayen Tarma. Duma has been targeted with heavy bombardment as well.

* Very heavy artillery and mortar bombardment on the town of Bait Sahem.

* The sounds of bombardment have not stopped since the early morning in the town of al-Nabik. A regime force was targeted on the Homs-Damascus highway, and the FSA destroyed a tank near al-Nabik.

* The FSA targets a building where regime forces are assembled in the city of Adra, and scores direct hits.

* Rocket and artillery bombardment target Darayya and Moadamiyah.

* The town of Spayneh is targeted with surface-to-surface missile.

* Exchange of gunfire and intermittent clashes occur near the town of Drocha last night. The bombardment on Khan a-Shieh Palestinian camp and the areas around it continues. A high school was targeted with four shells, and several civilians have been injured. The school is used as a shelter for displaced families from neighboring areas. Electricity has been cut in the camp, and the bombardment this morning targeted the farms of Bait Jin.

* Two FSA fighters were killed in Babbila last night in the bombardment on Sidi Mikdad neighborhood.

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