Over 500 rebels killed in Syria's Latakia battles:
The ongoing clashes between the Syrian army and the hardline armed militant groups in Syria's northwestern province of Latakia have claimed the lives of over 500 rebels since Friday, the al-Watan newspaper said Wednesday. Ref. Source 2
Rebels step up Syrian shelling
Mortar shells exploded near the Damascus Opera House, killing two, as rebels intensified their shelling of the Syrian capital to relieve pressure on an opposition neighborhood that government forces have been trying to seize. Ref. Source 4
Syrian forces liberate 3 villages near Lebanese border:
Syrian government troops seized at least three border communities, including an ancient Christian hamlet, north of Damascus on Monday, state media and activists said, in a dramatic one-day sweep that suggests rebel strongholds along the Lebanese frontier are near total collapse. Ref. Source 2
Activists say airstrike on Syrian school kills 19:
A Syrian government airstrike hit a school in the northern battleground city of Aleppo on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people, including 10 children, activists reported. Ref. Source 7