44 killed as Syrian army shells Damascus and Homs suburbs

Activists are concerned about the mosque in the Qaboun district of Damascus Forty-four people were killed in Syria on Saturday as government forces stepped up their offensive in areas surrounding Damascus and Homs. The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed to have killed four Hezbollah fighters at a vegetable market in the Sayeda Zeinab district of Damascus.
Clashes were reported in the northwestern governorate of Idlib, whilst in Aleppo FSA fighters attacked Meng Military Airport, killing several Syrian soldiers.
Over in Homs, activists reported fierce fighting as government troops tried to regain rebel-held territories.
In the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, FSA fighters targeted regime personnel in the Muwazafen neighbourhood, and also fired rockets at the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, causing several  causalities.
In the northwestern governorate of Idlib, the army carried out helicopter air raids with the use of explosive barrels in Mareyan and ?Bsames, rocket and artillery shellings in the villages of Kafr Heya, Kourine, al-Maghara, Joseph and ?Iblin, in addition to the military aircrafts shelling targeting the area between Sermada and Bab al-?Hawa in northern Idlib.
Local media claimed that in the northern city of Hama, troops carried out heavy artillery firing in the towns al-Treimesa, al-?Houaijeh and al-Hawash.
Local Coordination Committees (LCCs) recorded 44 deaths nationwide on Saturday, including five women and three children. Twenty-four were killed in Damascus and surrounding area, six in Daraa, five in Aleppo, five in Idlib, and one each in Homs, Hama, Deir Ezzor and Hasakah.
In total, 446 points were bombed, with military air raid on 35 points.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) called for the immediate release of 200 civilians detained in a mosque in Qaboun, Damascus.
In a statement, the group urged the United Nations, the Security Council, and human rights organisations to send "a strong warning" to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The plea came a day after SNC warned about the army's offensive in Barza and Qaboun, claiming that more than 40,000 lives are at risk.
"The Syrian Coalition once again reminds the international community of its responsibilities towards putting an end to Assad’s crimes against humanity, his continued infringement of international conventions, and his use of internationally prohibited weapons," the statement said.
"The international community must protect civilians and support the Syrian Revolution.  It must also stop the bloodshed and aid in achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity," the opposition group added.
Meanwhile, an air raid on Syria's famed Krak des Chevaliers castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaged one of the fortress's towers, footage shot by activists showed Saturday.
Several videos posted online showed at least one air strike on Friday against the castle in central Homs province, where fighting is raging between government troops and rebel forces.
The footage shows a huge blast as a tower of the Crusader castle, which is built on a hill, appears to take a direct hit, throwing up large clouds of smoke and scattering debris in the air.
A separate video filmed inside the fortress purports to show some of the damage caused by the air strike, including a gaping hole in the ceiling and a pile of rubble below.
Meanwhile, Syrian president Assad launched a demographic campaign in the Syrian governorate of Sweida, sources have revealed to Arab Today.
The Syrian president granted Syrian citizenship to 40,000 people affiliating to the Shiite movement of Hezbollah and its militia in Iraq that support the Syrian regime. The sources added that the troops will stay in Qanawat, a village in Syria.