Many flee for Lebanon to escape fighting in Damascus

July 23 - Fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels appears to rage in Aleppo, as many flee for Lebanon to escape fighting in Damascus. Sarah Sheffer reports. ( Transcript )

Gunfire in an Aleppo neighborhood. Amateur video purports to show Syrian government tanks around intelligence headquarters in Aleppo, as pro-Assad forces try to push back rebel gains. Another shot is said show residents of Aleppo fleeing as gunfire is heard in the background. Reuters cannot independently verify the content of the videos, mainly due to Syrian media restrictions. 

The U.N. estimates that as many as 30,000 Syrians have fled for neighbouring Lebanon to escape the ongoing violence. Most of them are coming from Damascus, where government forces are combating opposition advances in the city, just a week after an attack killed four top security officials. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 1,261 people had been killed across Syria since last Sunday. Sarah Sheffer, Reuters