Damascus 'bombarded' after deadly blasts

Syrian regime forces on Friday bombarded southern districts of Damascus a day after two deadly car bombings, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Several blasts rang out in Damascus as southern areas of the city were bombarded," said the Britain-based group which relies on a countrywide network of activists and doctors in compiling its reports and tolls. Elsewhere, three civilians were killed and several wounded by artillery fire at dawn in the Tassil area of the southern province of Daraa, the watchdog said. In the key northern city of Aleppo a rebel was killed in fighting with regime forces supported by artillery, the Observatory said, while in the central city of Homs a civilian was reported killed in clashes. Artillery fire was also heard overnight in the northwestern province of Idlib and in the central province of Hama, it added. On Thursday at least 135 people -- 77 civilians, 31 rebels and 27 soldiers -- were killed across the country, the Observatory reported. Car bomb attacks on Thursday at an army residential block southwest of Damascus killed 24 people, state media said. At least 60 died in and around Damascus on Thursday, said the Observatory which has reported more than 42,000 people killed since the conflict began in March 2011.