Fierce clashes reported near Damascus

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime troops armed with tanks stormed Douma at dawn. Heavy gunfire and shelling was reported in various parts of the city as the clashes between soldiers and rebels raged on.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising near the city's main mosque as troop reinforcements were sent in, the Observatory said.

Despite the pledge by the Syrian President to bring to an end to the clashes and restore peace in the war-torn country, 170 people were killed this week.

According to figures published by the United Nations, the unrest in Syria has left more than 9,000 people dead since mid-March last year.