Dozens killed in fresh Syria violence

Helicopter gunships on Monday fired on rebel positions in central and northwestern Syria in a bid to snuff out the gunmen as violence killed 52 people across the country, a monitoring group said.

Helicopters strafed rebels positions in Al-Heffa, in the northwestern province of Latakia, and in Rastan, in the central province of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Regime troops have pounded Al-Heffa daily for the past week to snuff out rebel Free Syrian Army fighters deployed in the rugged countryside near the Turkish border, activists said.

Activists said Monday’s assault was violent and described the situation in Al-Heffa as “terrible,” although there were no immediate reports of casualties. “Army tanks are deployed at the entrances of the town. They have never come this close before,” local activist Sema Nassar said.