Flights in and out of Damascus were halted today after intense fighting cut off the main road from the airport into the Syrian capital.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the road later reopened after government forces claimed to have cleared it of “terrorists” — rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad — but fighting continued nearby and there was scant traffic on the highway.
A Dubai-based airline official said the airport was not accepting flights. Clashes and shelling were reported all night in southern Damascus, but contact with sources inside the country is difficult as the internet and most phone lines were down today, said Rami Abdelrahman, director of the observatory.
Up to 40,000 people have died in 20 months of rebellion. A meeting was under way in Tokyo today to co-ordinate international sanctions against the regime. Measures in place include a freeze on Assad’s assets, and oil and arms trade bans.
