President Bashar Assad’s forces at a roadblock killed 30 worshipers around a mosque in a village northeast of Hama, opposition activists said on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, Syrian authorities arrested a person said to have carried out a bomb attack last week that killed three senior security officials, according to an Iranian news agency.

The suspect worked at the security headquarters in Damascus where the bombing took place, Fars news agency quoted Syrian parliament member Mohammad Zahir Ghanoum as saying.    

"The agent who committed the explosion against the Syria Supreme National Security Council building was arrested,"  Ghanoum said.    

"The arrested individual is a staff member of that same building but I cannot give further details. Probably in the near future this person's confession will be broadcast."    

A security source told Reuters last week the bomber was a bodyguard entrusted with protecting the closest members of Assad's circle. Syrian state television said a suicide bomber was responsible.             

Ghanoum said the person responsible had been hired by Syria's enemies but the Assad government would not allow the United States, Israel, Turkey or Qatar to weaken Syria's security.      

Separately, Syrian forces put down a mutiny in a main jail on the outskirts of Aleppo, killing 15 prisoners, as reported by activists in Aleppo who spoke to the prisoners.

Syrian authorities and opposition activists said fierce clashes have persisted overnight in Syria's commercial capital of Aleppo, stretching into a fourth day.           
The state news agency said Tuesday that regime forces fought with rebels in the neighborhoods of Salaheddine and Sukkari and claimed they inflicted heavy losses.   

Appointments

General Ali Mamlouk was appointed head of Syria’s National Security Office on Tuesday, Rustom Ghazali as head of the Political Security Directorate and Dib Zaytoun as head of the Syrian intelligence.

Syrian opposition denies accepting transition led by regime figure     

The Syrian National Council denied on Tuesday that it would accept a transition led by a regime figure.

It was earlier reported that SNC would be willing to accept a transition led temporarily by a member of the regime if President Bashar al-Assad steps aside.           
“We would agree to the departure of Assad and the transfer of his powers to a regime figure, who would lead a transitional period like what happened in Yemen”, SNC spokesperson George Sabra said on Tuesday.        

FSA accuses Damascus of chemical weapons transfer to border                                                  

The Free Syrian Army accused on Tuesday President Bashar Assad’s regime of transferring chemical weapons to border airports, a day after Damascus threatened to use these weapons in case of a “foreign attack".   

The Free Syrian Army stressed in a statement that it knows the locations and facilities of these weapons.   

         
International positions      

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that rebel fighters battling Syrian President Bashar al Assad are making territorial gains that will eventually become "safe havens" and provide a base for further operations against government forces.

Clinton said that despite opposition gains, it was not too late for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to begin planning for a political transition.   

She said it was also important for Syria's armed opposition to make clear that it was fighting for all Syrians and not to seek reprisals or retribution that could lead to more violence.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia warned Syria not to use chemical weapons, saying Moscow "proceeds from the assumption" that the government will adhere to its international obligations.
   
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Syria had ratified an international protocol in 1968 that bars the use of poison gases as a method of warfare.

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Tuesday any foreign powers intervening in Syria would suffer "decisive blows", specifically referring to "hated Arabs" - a veiled reference to regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
   
"Not yet one of Syria's friends and the large resistance front has entered this arena, and if this were to happen, decisive blows would be struck against the enemy's front and specifically the hated Arabs," Masoud Jazayeri was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

As for France, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday that any use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces would be unacceptable.

"Any use of chemical arms is completely unacceptable. President Obama made statements to this effect and so have others... These weapons are under strict surveillance by the international community, " Fabius told France 2 television.    

Fabius also said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was bound to fall at some point and the Arab League offer of a safe exit would not save him from punishment.     

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli defence official said on Tuesday that the Syrian government is still in full control of chemical weapons stockpiles.
   
"At the moment, the entire non-conventional weapons system is under the full control of the regime," the official, Amos Gilad, told Israel Radio.

Separately, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is "closer than ever to victory" and warned that Turkey will respond firmly to any hostility from Syria.

As for Iraq, the Iraqi government decided to establish camps for the Syrian refugees along the Rabia and al-Qaem crossing points.

For its part, Russia reiterated on Tuesday a warning to its citizens against travelling to Syria, citing what it called the "extremely tense situation" and persistent fighting.

           

REUTERS/AP/LBCI