'Battle for liberation' of Damascus has begun: Rebels

The rebel Free Syrian Army said on Tuesday that the "battle for the liberation of Damascus has begun," as fighting raged in the capital.

"Victory is nigh," said the central Homs-based spokesman for the FSA's Joint Command, Colonel Kassem Saadeddine, adding that the fighting will not stop until the whole of the capital has been conquered.

"We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital," said Saadeddine. "We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it's enough."

"Expect surprises," he added, without elaborating.

The FSA, composed of army defectors and civilians who have joined the insurgency, relies on light weapons, in stark contrast to the regular army's heavy firepower.

Fighting has raged in Damascus since Sunday, with activists describing the escalation as a "turning point" in the 16-month uprising, with fierce clashes in several neighbourhoods.

Helicopters were deployed in Damascus for the first time, shooting heavily into anti-regime neighbourhoods.

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