Aleppo airport forced to close after 'rebel attacks'

Smoke billowing from a building in the village of Daraya The Syrian Local Coordination Committees announced have that two women and eight children were among 39 fatalities across Syria on the first day of 2013. Meanwhile, government warplanes bombed the north-eastern and south-western suburbs of Damascus in a fresh bid to push rebels further away from the capital, with troops attacking insurgent strongholds on the road to Damascus airport. "Three air strikes by MiG planes have targeted Daraya since the morning, and the shelling is continuing," Abu Kinan, a local activist said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids came amid fierce clashes near the towns of Bait Saham and Aqraba along the airport road, and that shelling killed three civilians in nearby Ziabiyeh.
Analysts say the army is set on taking total control of Damascus and its immediate surroundings, to create conditions necessary for future dialogue.
In northern Syria, where insurgents hold huge swathes of territory, authorities announced the temporary closure of Aleppo International Airport, after rebel attacks in recent days. "There have been continued attempts by opposition militants to target civilian aircraft, which could cause a humanitarian disaster," an anonymous official said.
The airport's authorities said the closure was due to maintenance work on the runway and other facilities on the ground.
The official said the critical transportation hub would be closed for a "very short period of time," while the army worked to regain control of surrounding areas where large numbers of rebels have set up base.
At the same time, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some of the heaviest fighting is taking place in the Damascus suburb of Daraya.
State-run news agency SANA said troops killed "tens of terrorists" in Daraya and nearby areas. The regime refers to rebels as "terrorists." Daraya is a few miles from the strategic military airbase of Mazzeh, a western neighbourhood of the capital.
Amateur videos showed smoke billowing from buildings in Daraya, which activists claimed was a result of military air raids. Another video showed a street covered with debris, as fire raged on the second floor of a five-story building.
Burhan Ghalioun, member of the Syrian Coalition said that the UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi "failed to achieve a political solution to the crisis in Syria."  
Ghalioun said that Brahimi's failure was due to the approach he adopted which concentrated on stopping violence in the absolute, without handling its causes, namely "the government and the lack of freedom and democracy."
Earlier, France supported the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. However, the French foreign ministry spokesman said that they still see "the need for Assad to step down to resolve the crisis."
Meanwhile, the Syrian government has welcomed any plans that would lead to peace talks and end the bloodshed in the country. Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi was positive in his response to the suggestion from Brahimi about a peace plan.
Brahimi said the plan calls for all sides in Syria to end hostilities, enter into a national dialogue, and form a transitional government leading to new elections. However, the plan says nothing about the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, an omission which appears to have stalled its progress.