IS,Syria regime locked in fierce battles near Palmyra (VIDEO)

BEIRUT

Jihadists from the Islamic state group
were locked in fierce battles with Syrian
government forces on the northern and
eastern edges of ancient Palmyra a monitor
said,

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said fighting was  raging near security
buildings in northern Palmyra including
the regime's local state security branch
and close to the city's notorious prison
in the east.

The Jihadist offensive on the world heritage
sitePalmyra began on May 13 and has since
left more than 350 people dead.

Mohammad an activist originally from Palmyra
,told AFP that the city was suffering from
water shortages and  intermittent electricity.

"A large number of people from the  city 's
north have been displaced into other neigh-
bourhoods Some are sleeping in the streets
he said.Antiquities official fear that IS wants
to destroy Palmyra 's pre-Islamic cultural
treasures,which include colonnaded streets
and ancient citadels.

In Idlib,a regime air raid on the opposition
controlled village Darkush left at least 22 civlians
dead .Darkush lies on the Syrian Turkish border,
just 50 kilometer northwest of Ariha ,one of the
last remaining regime bastions in Idlib  province.

Also on Tuesday ,a rebels coalition including
Al Qaeda 's Syria branch seized control of the
Al-Mastumah camp,the largest military base
in Idlib,

According to the Observatory and Syria's state
television ,a teacher was killed  and at least 20
students wounded when mortar rounds landed
on their school in Damascus.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 with peaceful
anti government demonstrations,but has evolved
into complex war that has left more than 220,000
people dead,AFP