Aleppo international airport shuts down amid ongoing air raids

On the first day of the year 2013, the cities of Darayya and Maadamiyet al-Sham, southwestern Damascus, witnessed heavy air raids launched by military air force, while clashes continued in the region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.               

For its part, General Authority for the Syrian revolution reported heavy shelling over al-Maadamiyeh, pointing that MIG jets launched three air raids over the city.              

Activists confirmed that fights continued in the provinces of Idlib and Deir al-Zour where rebels are trying to take control over many camps, checkpoints and military sites belonging to the regime forces.    

On the field, the international airport in Syria's second city of Aleppo has been temporarily shut down due to repeated attacks by rebel fighters, an airport official said on Tuesday.         
The airport's authorities said the closure was due to maintenance work on the runway and other facilities on the ground.        

In contrast, the Syrian authorities announced that their troops killed many terrorist groups in several regions including Daraya, Douma and Hujaira, seized large quantities of weapons and dismantled dozens of improvised explosive devices. The Syrian Prime Minister had announced that his country will respond to any regional or international initiative to solve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means away from meddling.

This as AFP quoted a Turkish diplomat as saying that a new group of 20 Syrian soldiers including a brigadier defected from the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and headed to Turkey.