The army bombarded Sunni areas of Banias in northwestern Syria on Friday as heavy gunfire rocked southern parts of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. \"Some neighbourhoods in southern Banias are being bombarded by regular troops and soldiers manning checkpoints in the area have opened up with fire,\" said the Britain-based watchdog. Fierce clashes between rebels and soldiers erupted Thursday in Banias and the nearby Sunni village of Bayda, where government troops and pro-regime militias were accused by the opposition of carrying out a \"large-scale massacre\".