Syrian security forces have launched a major offensive on the rebel-held town of Qusair, near the border with Lebanon, media reports citing Opposition activists said on Sunday.
They said the Syrian army began the operation on Saturday night with shelling, and added that military aircraft were involved in the assault on Qusair.
Syrian state media claimed the troops had since captured many buildings in the town center, but the rebels insist that security forces have been forced to fall back amid fierce fighting. The rebels also accused Lebanon's Hezbollah of helping the Syrian troops in the fighting for Qusair.
Activists claimed that at least 50 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 450 others injured in the bombardment, which they described as once of the most intense witnessed during the two-year-long armed conflict.
Meanwhile, state television reported that more than 70 "terrorists" were killed in the offensive. Nevertheless, such reports cannot be verified independently as most foreign media are barred from operating in the country.
Incidentally, control of Qusair is important to the two sides. The Syrian government will have access from capital Damascus to the coast if its troops succeed in capturing the town. On the other hand, the rebels will lose their ability to move freely into Lebanon if they lose control of Qusair.
Notably, the attack on Qusair is seen as a part of the government's renewed efforts to retake strategic areas of the country from the rebel forces. The government claims that it has already succeeded in recapturing several rebel strong-holds.
The latest developments come amid efforts aimed at convincing the rebels and the Syrian government to attend an international conference planned jointly by Russia and the United States next month to find a political solution to the conflict.
Nevertheless, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told an Argentine newspaper over the weekend that the proposed conference should be used to address the flow of foreign funds and arms to the rebels, who he described as "terrorists." Assad also ruled out the possibility of his stepping down from office ahead of next year's presidential elections.
An estimated 70,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since an armed rebellion against the Assad regime began in Syria in March 2011. The civil war has forced about 1.4 million Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring countries, with 4.25 million more displaced internally.
The U.N. estimates that at least 6.8 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict. International efforts at finding a solution to the crisis have been hampered by a deep divide in the U.N. Security Council, with Russia and China backing the Assad regime and the West opposing it.
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