Assad's forces launch bloody campaign in bid to re-take all of Damascus

Damascus, Jan 30(ANI): At least 19 people were killed when Syrian armed forces shelled residential districts on the outskirts of Damascus amid President Bashar al-Assad launching a major offensive to regain full control of the capital.

The latest casualties occurred after Syria's ten-month uprising entered a particularly violent phase, The Telegraph reports.

The deployment of the Arab League observer mission in Syria had initially reduced the scale of violence to some extent as compared to the situation in the autumn, but nearly 250 people have been killed since last Tuesday.

Regime forces also escalated an offensive in the town of Rankous, 20 miles north of Damascus, leading to 33 deaths over the past three days, according to rights groups.

Syrian forces have also advanced a large mechanised infantry column into the Damascus suburbs, Saqba, Hammouriya and Kfar Batna and the town of Douma.

The rebels appear to be too divided, poorly organised and weak to control territories even though they have benefited from a several army defections and battlefield successes.

Meanwhile, Arab League's Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby has arrived in New York to lobby the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution supporting an Arab peace plan that calls on Assad to step down.

The Security Council is expected hold a debate on Syria this week, but Russia has hinted it would not support any resolution that threatens to impose sanctions or hints at regime change in Syria.

Russia is supporting Syria amid fears of the revolution spreading to the country following the pro-democracy protests in Moscow. (ANI)