11/25/2012

8 children killed on playground in Syria

Syrian boys from Ras al-Ain attempt to cross back into Syria at the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar on Saturday, November 24. View photos from November in this gallery, and <strong><a href='http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/12/world/gallery/syria-october/index.html' target='_blank'>see October photos from the conflict here</a></strong>.Syrian boys from Ras al-Ain attempt to cross back into Syria at the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar on Saturday, November 24. View photos from November in this gallery, and see October photos from the conflict here.
Syrian rebels and bystanders watch as a bulldozer removes debris from outside the Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday, November 22.Syrian rebels and bystanders watch as a bulldozer removes debris from outside the Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday, November 22.
Rescue workers cover a corpse under the debris outside Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday.Rescue workers cover a corpse under the debris outside Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday.
A Syrian boy cleans debris from outside Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday.A Syrian boy cleans debris from outside Dar Al-Shifa hospital in Aleppo on Thursday.
Syrian refugees fleeing their homes in the northern Syrian town of Ras al-Ain walk to cross the border fence into Turkey, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, on Wednesday, November 21.Syrian refugees fleeing their homes in the northern Syrian town of Ras al-Ain walk to cross the border fence into Turkey, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, on Wednesday, November 21.
Syrian rebel fighters drive through the gate of Syrian Government Army Base 46 after its capture, near Aleppo on Wednesday. Defected Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Faj, who commanded the assault, hailed the capture of the base as "one of our biggest victories since the start of the revolution" against President Bashar al-Assad.Syrian rebel fighters drive through the gate of Syrian Government Army Base 46 after its capture, near Aleppo on Wednesday. Defected Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Faj, who commanded the assault, hailed the capture of the base as "one of our biggest victories since the start of the revolution" against President Bashar al-Assad.
Smoke and fire rise from the Roman citadel of Kalat al-Numan after it was bombed by a Syrian government jet on Tuesday, November 20, in Maaret al-Numan, Syria. The Roman-era town of 150,000 is now virtually deserted due to the heavy shelling and aerial bombardments.Smoke and fire rise from the Roman citadel of Kalat al-Numan after it was bombed by a Syrian government jet on Tuesday, November 20, in Maaret al-Numan, Syria. The Roman-era town of 150,000 is now virtually deserted due to the heavy shelling and aerial bombardments.
Syrians ride on a horse-drawn cart in the streets of the Tarik al-Bab neighborhood in Aleppo on Sunday, November 18.Syrians ride on a horse-drawn cart in the streets of the Tarik al-Bab neighborhood in Aleppo on Sunday, November 18.
Syrian rebels stand guard outside a church in the town of Ras al-Ain near the border with Turkey on Friday, November 16. Syrian rebels stand guard outside a church in the town of Ras al-Ain near the border with Turkey on Friday, November 16.
A picture shows a heavily damaged house after airstrikes by Syrian regime forces in Ras al-Ain on Friday.A picture shows a heavily damaged house after airstrikes by Syrian regime forces in Ras al-Ain on Friday.
A Syrian rebel takes cover during fighting against government forces in Aleppo on Thursday, November 15.A Syrian rebel takes cover during fighting against government forces in Aleppo on Thursday, November 15.
A Turkish soldier in a foxhole in Ceylanpinar, Turkey, watches Syrian opposition fighters praying in the strategic Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, November 14.A Turkish soldier in a foxhole in Ceylanpinar, Turkey, watches Syrian opposition fighters praying in the strategic Syrian border town of Ras al-Ain on Wednesday, November 14.
A Syrian rebel commander of the Halab al-Shabah battalion motivates fighters during clashes with regime forces in Al-Amariya district of Aleppo on Tuesday, November 13.A Syrian rebel commander of the Halab al-Shabah battalion motivates fighters during clashes with regime forces in Al-Amariya district of Aleppo on Tuesday, November 13.
Smoke billows from burning tires as a Syrian rebel fires toward regime forces in Aleppo on Tuesday.Smoke billows from burning tires as a Syrian rebel fires toward regime forces in Aleppo on Tuesday.
Syrian rebels take position in Aleppo on Tuesday.Syrian rebels take position in Aleppo on Tuesday.
Smoke rises after Syrian aircraft bombed the strategic border town of Ras al-Ain, killing at least four people, wounding many others and sending panicked residents fleeing across to Turkey on Monday, November 12.Smoke rises after Syrian aircraft bombed the strategic border town of Ras al-Ain, killing at least four people, wounding many others and sending panicked residents fleeing across to Turkey on Monday, November 12.
Syrian opposition fighter Bazel Araj, 19, sleeps next to his gun in Aleppo on Sunday, November 11.Syrian opposition fighter Bazel Araj, 19, sleeps next to his gun in Aleppo on Sunday, November 11.
Syrian opposition fighters pass a civilian as they patrol the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday.Syrian opposition fighters pass a civilian as they patrol the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday.
A Syrian opposition fighter walks in a destroyed house after hard clashes with Syrian regime forces in Ras al Ain on Saturday, November 10.A Syrian opposition fighter walks in a destroyed house after hard clashes with Syrian regime forces in Ras al Ain on Saturday, November 10.
Syrian nationals cross the border between the Syrian town of Ras al Ain and Ceylanpinar, Turkey, on Saturday.Syrian nationals cross the border between the Syrian town of Ras al Ain and Ceylanpinar, Turkey, on Saturday.
Syrian army soldiers ride along a street Saturday in the northern province of Aleppo.Syrian army soldiers ride along a street Saturday in the northern province of Aleppo.
A Syrian opposition fighter stands in a destroyed house in Ras al Ain on Saturday.A Syrian opposition fighter stands in a destroyed house in Ras al Ain on Saturday.
Syrians cross the border into Turkey on Friday, November 9, near the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar. Syrians cross the border into Turkey on Friday, November 9, near the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.
Smoke rises after an explosion in the Syrian village of Bariqa near the the cease-fire line in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Wednesday, November 7. Israel is asking the U.N. Security Council to address an intrusion by Syrian tanks into the buffer zone between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights, which Israel says violates the two countries' Separation of Forces agreement.Smoke rises after an explosion in the Syrian village of Bariqa near the the cease-fire line in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Wednesday, November 7. Israel is asking the U.N. Security Council to address an intrusion by Syrian tanks into the buffer zone between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights, which Israel says violates the two countries' Separation of Forces agreement.
A picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency shows damage caused by a mortar attack in a residential district of Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday.
A picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency shows damage caused by a mortar attack in a residential district of Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday.
A damaged vehicle and building are damaged after bomb explosions in in Damascus on Wednesday in this photo released by Syria's national news agency, SANA. Multiple bomb explosions on Wednesday hit a hilltop district in Damascus populated by members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, witnesses said.
A damaged vehicle and building are damaged after bomb explosions in in Damascus on Wednesday in this photo released by Syria's national news agency, SANA. Multiple bomb explosions on Wednesday hit a hilltop district in Damascus populated by members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, witnesses said.
An Israeli Merkava tank crew sits in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Breqa on Tuesday, November 6. An Israeli military vehicle in the Golan Heights was hit by gunfire from Syria on Monday, the Israeli army said. An Israeli Merkava tank crew sits in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Breqa on Tuesday, November 6. An Israeli military vehicle in the Golan Heights was hit by gunfire from Syria on Monday, the Israeli army said.
A mortar shell explodes in the Syrian village of Breqa on Tuesday.A mortar shell explodes in the Syrian village of Breqa on Tuesday.
Syrian rescue workers evacuate a woman and her two children from a building targeted by an airstrike from government forces in a town northeast of Aleppo on Sunday, November 4. An AFP correspondent reported three air strikes on the town in close succession.Syrian rescue workers evacuate a woman and her two children from a building targeted by an airstrike from government forces in a town northeast of Aleppo on Sunday, November 4. An AFP correspondent reported three air strikes on the town in close succession.
Syrian people take cover as a second bomb explodes during a rescue attempt in nearby a building that was hit during an air raid by government forces earlier on Sunday.Syrian people take cover as a second bomb explodes during a rescue attempt in nearby a building that was hit during an air raid by government forces earlier on Sunday.
A Syrian rebel fighter rests on a couch in a rebel-controlled building on the front line in Aleppo's northern Izaa quarter on Sunday.A Syrian rebel fighter rests on a couch in a rebel-controlled building on the front line in Aleppo's northern Izaa quarter on Sunday.
A mannequin used by rebel fighters as a decoy is seen in an area where clashes continue with pro-government forces in Aleppo on Friday, November 2.A mannequin used by rebel fighters as a decoy is seen in an area where clashes continue with pro-government forces in Aleppo on Friday, November 2.
A member of the Free Syrian Army runs for cover from sniper fire in Aleppo on Friday.A member of the Free Syrian Army runs for cover from sniper fire in Aleppo on Friday.
Members of the Free Syrian Army stand close to an unexploded bomb dropped by a fighter jet weeks earlier, at a checkpoint in Aleppo on Thursday, November 1.Members of the Free Syrian Army stand close to an unexploded bomb dropped by a fighter jet weeks earlier, at a checkpoint in Aleppo on Thursday, November 1.
Buildings lie destoryed by what activists say were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Erbeen, near Damascus on Thursday. <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/09/world/gallery/syria-unrest-september/index.html'>See photographs from October</a>.Buildings lie destoryed by what activists say were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Erbeen, near Damascus on Thursday. See photographs from October.
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  • NEW: State news reports on military operations targeting "al Qaeda terrorists"
  • 8 children are killed while on a playground, an opposition group says
  • They are among 117 people killed or found dead Sunday around Syria
  • Rebel fighters take over two Syrian military bases, another group reports

(CNN) -- "May God bring you pain, Bashar."

The curse is from a woman as she stands over a young child, dressed in purple pants and a matching shirt. Cursing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, she asks why the girl had to die -- one of eight children killed by shelling Sunday on a playground in a Damascus suburb, according to opposition activists.

The woman's cries are among a host of heartrending moments captured on video from Deir al-Assafir. Posted on YouTube, and quickly spreading via social media, it begins by showing the bodies of two seemingly dead little girls on the ground, then two more bodies in a car, then adults carrying even more limp children. A young girl on the pavement cries uncontrollably before being picked up.

Major hospital bombed in Syria
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Ethnic clashes erupt in northern Syria
Inside a Syrian border town

The opposition Local Coordination Committees said cluster bombs from Syrian warplanes killed children while they were playing. Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said it's not known what happened -- noting it is unclear if or, perhaps, why the children were targeted in an area containing al Qaeda insurgents and rebel fighters, or why they were outside after a morning of intense shelling.

Whatever the explanation, the images represent another sordid chapter in Syria's bloody civil war.

About 40,000 civilians have been killed since the first protests sprung up about 20 months ago against al-Assad's government, according to the opposition Center for Documentation of Violations in Syria. Meanwhile, more than 380,000 Syrians have fled the violence and become refugees in countries such as Turkey and Lebanon, the United Nations reports.

On Sunday alone, the carnage in Deir Assafar represented a fraction of the 117 fatalities that the LCC reported nationwide Sunday. That figure includes 55 dead in and around Damascus -- among them 12 bodies found in a hospital in Daraya -- plus 17 in Daraa province and 16 in Aleppo province.

The Syrian government routinely refers to its battle against "terrorists," the term it uses for rebel fighters as well as extremist elements within the country. On Sunday, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported on several specific military operations "in pursuit of al Qaeda terrorists who are perpetrating acts of killing and looting," in some instances identifying those killed and where they purportedly came from, such as Saudi Arabia, Libya and Palestinian territories.

CNN cannot confirm claims by the government or the opposition due to government restrictions that prevent journalists from reporting freely within Syria.

Having begun with security forces cracking down on mostly nonviolent demonstrators, the conflict has evolved to feature more fighting between two main groups: the Syrian military and the rebel Syrian Free Army.

Rebel forces scored significant victories over the weekend, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Overnight Saturday, its fighters stormed Marj al-Sultan airport, which is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Damascus, destroying two helicopters and a number of vehicles except for a tank that was driven off the airport. In Daraa province, meanwhile, rebels claimed to have taken over a base near the Jordanian border that once housed the Syrian army's fourth battalion.

Many communities around the country -- from Deir Ezzor in the east to Jableh along the Mediterranean Sea -- saw heavy shelling and explosions, according to the LCC.

The violence has spilled over, too, into neighboring countries.

Turkey has turned against its former ally, asking its fellow NATO members last week for Patriot missiles to bolster its air defenses due to several deaths in its territory blamed on Syrian forces.

The bloodshed has seeped into Lebanon as well, where there have been deadly clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian factions, and the assassination of a top intelligence official was tied to the Syrian conflict. And Israel's army fired warning shots toward Syria earlier this month after a mortar shell hit one of its military posts.

Protests continue in Egypt

CNN's Roba Alhenawi, Karen Smith and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

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