Syrian intelligence base attacked

Syrian activists say that army defectors have attacked an intelligence complex in the Damascus suburbs in what appears to be one of their boldest assaults so far against government security forces.

Members of the Free Syrian Army fired rockets and machine guns at a large air force intelligence complex situated in Harasta on the northern edge of the capital along the Damascus-Aleppo highway on Wednesday at about 2:30 am (0030 GMT), sources told Reuters.

A gunfight ensued and helicopters circled the area, sources said.

"I heard several explosions, the sound of machine-gun fire being exchanged," said a resident of the suburb of Harasta, who declined to be named.

There was no immediate report of casualties and the area where the fighting occurred remained inaccessible, the sources said.

Syria's ban on most foreign media makes it hard to verify events on the ground.

Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from neighbouring Lebanon, said: "This is probably not the first attack on security headquarters. But what is significant about this attack is that it is in Damascus, the capital. This shows how much trouble there is for the regime."

Together with military intelligence, air force intelligence is in charge of preventing dissent within the army. The two divisions have been instrumental in a crackdown on the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, which the United Nations says has killed at least 3,500 people since March.

Syria's military is controlled by Assad's brother, Maher, and members of their minority Alawite sect. But the army is comprised mostly of Sunni Muslims, who also form the majority of Syria's population and have been defecting from the army in growing numbers.

The latest attack came amid increasing reports of defections among Syrian soldiers deployed by the government to quell the uprising.

Syrian authorities have blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the unrest, which they said killed 1,100 army and police personnel.

Reuters