Damascus: Rebel fighters shot down a helicopter in a battleground town near Damascus on Thursday, a watchdog said, as Syria's opposition declared parts of the capital a "disaster area."
A series of explosions rocked the town of Douma, just northeast of Damascus, shortly before the rebels downed the helicopter, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"A helicopter went down in the Tall al-Kurdi area near Douma," said the Britain-based Observatory, citing activists in the area. It "was shot down by rebels" following the blasts.
The reports came as the Syrian National Council (SNC) said that south Damascus was a "disaster area," while the army shelled Al-Hajar Al-Aswad and the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk.
"Many people have been killed or injured, but the violence of the shelling is making it difficult for activists in the area to document all their names," it added.
The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a grassroots network of anti-regime activists, had also declared south Damascus a "disaster area" on Wednesday.
The SNC meanwhile renewed its call on the international community to intervene on behalf of the Syrian people.
Violence also raged in Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub in the north where dozens were killed or injured in fierce shelling by the army, said the Observatory.
The violence came a day after 125 people were killed across Syria, including 80 civilians, 17 rebels and 28 soldiers, according to the Observatory.
More than 27,000 people have been killed in violence across Syria since March last year, the Observatory says. The UN puts the figure at more than 20,000.
A series of explosions rocked the town of Douma, just northeast of Damascus, shortly before the rebels downed the helicopter, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"A helicopter went down in the Tall al-Kurdi area near Douma," said the Britain-based Observatory, citing activists in the area. It "was shot down by rebels" following the blasts.
The reports came as the Syrian National Council (SNC) said that south Damascus was a "disaster area," while the army shelled Al-Hajar Al-Aswad and the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk.
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"Many people have been killed or injured, but the violence of the shelling is making it difficult for activists in the area to document all their names," it added.
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The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a grassroots network of anti-regime activists, had also declared south Damascus a "disaster area" on Wednesday.
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The SNC meanwhile renewed its call on the international community to intervene on behalf of the Syrian people.
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Violence also raged in Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub in the north where dozens were killed or injured in fierce shelling by the army, said the Observatory.
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The violence came a day after 125 people were killed across Syria, including 80 civilians, 17 rebels and 28 soldiers, according to the Observatory.
More than 27,000 people have been killed in violence across Syria since March last year, the Observatory says. The UN puts the figure at more than 20,000.
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