Syria’s Moallem accuses Egypt's Morsi of conspiring for bloodshed in Syria

Syrian activists reported on Thursday that violent clashes erupted in the early hours of the morning between Opposition militants and the Syrian Regime Army in Damascus. This after tens were reported dead on Wednesday.           

For its part, SANA said that Syrian Army troops entered Zamlaka city in Reef Damascus upon the request of the residents to “get rid of the armed terrorist groups who wreaked havoc and destruction”.                

Syrian Observatory for Human rights reported that violent clashes flared In Deir al-Zour between the militants’ brigades and the regime forces.

Later in the day, Syrian rebels said they shot down a Syrian fighter plane in the northwestern province of Idlib near the Turkish border. The Syrian Martyrs Brigade said in a statement the plane was brought down near the town of al-Thayabiya.

Video footage on al-Arabiya television showed what appeared to be smoke in the sky and a person parachuting down. An army helicopter hovered over the area, apparently in search of the pilot.  

International Positions:   

Turkey's Foreign Minister will urge the Security Council on Thursday to set up a safe zone in Syria to protect thousands of civilians fleeing the civil war, but his appeal is almost certain to go nowhere given the deep divisions in the U.N.'s most powerful body. France, which holds the council presidency this month, invited ministers from the 15 council nations to Thursday's meeting as the civil war intensifies.            

Meanwhile, leaders from around the world gathered in Tehran to hold the summit of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), where the Syrian crisis was among the main topics to be discussed.      

In this context, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Moallem accused Egypt's Morsi of conspiring for bloodshed in Syria following his speech at NAM summit.             

Earlier, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi urged member states to support Syrians striving to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.              

“Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity," Mursi said.

LBCI/ AP/ REUTERS