Free Syrian Army

Taxi driver Abu Mohammed cheated death when the sniper opened fire. The bullet whistled past his right temple and shot his female customer on the back seat of his yellow cab.

The West has raised fears Syria's revolution is falling into the hands of Islamic extremists, but many rebels, and even some peaceful activists, say they are willing to tolerate jihadist fighters for lack of a better option.

Rebels killed 28 soldiers as fighting raged on Syria's northwestern battlefields Thursday, a watchdog said, in some cases apparently beating and then executing troops taken prisoner.

Rebels killed 28 soldiers in Syria's northwestern battlefields Thursday, a watchdog said, as the regime launched new air strikes in what is seen as a desperate attempt to reverse opposition gains.

Syrian regime forces launched new air strikes Thursday in what is seen as a desperate attempt to reverse rebel gains, as the opposition blamed the international community for fuelling Islamic extremism.

A warplane bombed the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Harasta, east of Damascus, as helicopter gunships strafed a district of Syria's capital on Thursday, monitors said.

A Syrian fighter jet hit targets inside Damascus for the first time on Tuesday, a watchdog said, as air strikes pounded rebel bastions around the country and an air force general was shot dead.

Mohammed Hafar was killed at dawn, shot while reportedly trying to rescue his brother Faisal, mortally wounded, from the latest gunbattles between Sunni Arab rebels and Kurdish militia in Syria.

The Syrian regime may be their sworn enemy, but rebels fighting to bring down President Bashar al-Assad say they pay hard cash to government agents for guns and bullets.

Amid the roar of gunfire and explosions echoing through Syria's streets, the non-violent activists who launched the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad are struggling to make their voices heard.

Clashes erupted between Syrian rebels and troops backed by Palestinian fighters near Damascus Tuesday as the UN-Arab League peace envoy was due in China in a bid to revive struggling efforts to halt the violence.

Fierce clashes broke out before dawn Tuesday in a major Palestinian refugee camp south of Syria's capital, pitting rebels against troops backed by pro-regime Palestinian fighters, activists and a watchdog said.

Damascus shook with loud explosions Monday as Syrian warplanes reportedly launched their heaviest air strikes yet after a failed bid to halt the country's violence for a Muslim holiday.

The Kurdish rebel sits fiddling with his Kalashnikov looking bored when a comrade suddenly breaks into screams of "Allahu akbar" as a series of explosions reverberate from the front line.

Syrian rebels launched a series of attacks on army positions on Sunday as regime air strikes hit opposition-held towns near Damascus after the failure of a Muslim holiday ceasefire, a watchdog said.

Fighting and air raids shook Syria on Sunday as the international community looked to pick up the pieces of a failed effort to halt the violence for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Fighting raged across Syria and air raids struck near Damascus and in the north on Saturday after a ceasefire declared for a Muslim holiday collapsed, with at least 221 people killed since it was due to take effect.

Syrian rebels clashed with Kurdish militia in the northern city of Aleppo, leaving 30 dead and around 200 captured, a watchdog said on Saturday, sparking fears of a new front in an already fractured country.

Syrian rebels clashed with Kurdish militia in the northern city of Aleppo, leaving 30 dead and around 200 captured, a watchdog said on Saturday, sparking fears of a new front in an already fractured country.

Syrian rebels Saturday declared the failure of a truce declared for Eid al-Adha, as fighting raged, warplanes buzzed key cities and at least 150 people were reported killed since a ceasefire came into effect.