Syria Live: The Fight Near the Lebanese Border

Insurgents fire a Zu-23-2 anti-aircraft gun at regime forces close to al-Qusayr on the Lebanese border

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Tuesday's Syria Live: A Fight Against Hezbollah

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2007 GMT: Umayyad Mosque. It is hard to overstate the cultural, symbolic, historical and architectural importance of the Umayyad Mosque, the Great Mosque of Aleppo. Months ago, it was occupied by Assad fighters and used to attack nearby rebel positions. The mosque then fell to Syrian rebels. Today, it has been attacked by Assad forces and the minaret has been destroyed. The Local Coordination Committees have posted this statement:

The Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo is considered to be one of the most famous and important mosques in the Islamic world and is one of the most important world heritage sites. The mosque witnessed almost all eras of history. Regime forces have committed today a new crime against human and cultural heritage by targeting the minaret of the mosque and completely destroying it. This act comes in the context of a systematic policy of the authoritarian regime to destroy all Syrian cultural landmarks.

We, in the Local Coordination Committees condemn this criminal act that shook the conscience of all Syrians and underline the continuing struggle to achieve the goals of our glorious revolution, no matter how far this criminal regime goes in targeting humans and stone.

1909 GMT: NATO Not Planning Intervention. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made it clear that while the alliance was deeply concerned about the use of ballistic missiles by the regime, there are no plans to intervene to end the conflict. Those statements have received sharp criticism in an official statement from the Syrian National Coalition:

NATO has stated that it will only monitor the activity of scud missiles being launched from the Assad camps near Damascus to neighboring towns and villages to the north. NATO’s radars will ensure that those missiles fall within the borders of Syria. However, the fact that these missiles will fall over the heads of innocent civilians and children seems to be of no concern to NATO, even though NATO has the forces and preventive tools to stop these missiles. The Syrian Coalition finds it tragic that NATO has the power to stop further loss of life in Syria, but chooses not to take that course of action.

We do not expect the murderous behaviour of Assad’s regime to change in the near future, and thus we are certain that tomorrow will bring news of more innocent civilians dead in Syria. Therefore, it is our duty to remind the international community once more of the grave dangers facing civilians in all regions of Syria. The international community must rise to its great moral and ethical responsibilities and put an end to this bloodshed. History will not only condemn the murderous criminals, but also those who had the power to intervene but chose to be idle.

As someone who has watched this conflict for over two years, statements such as those made by Rasmussen are the unfunny punchline of international geopolitics at the moment. For two years there have been condemnations of the actions of the Assad regime, but it is clear that those actions won't change for the better, and the world will remain "deeply concerned" but largely on the (in this case literal) sidelines.

1835 GMT: Ceasefire Broken North of Damascus. Al Jazeera English's Sue Turton reports that the regime has broken a ceasefire north of Damascus, in a town called Quaryatayn (map):

If you'll notice, it's unclear to everyone why the town was attacked. We are not aware of any rebel attacks or movement near the town. There is, however, one guess (and it is just a guess). Northeast of here lies Palmyra, an important crossroads that is in the sights of some rebel groups who hope to form a bridge between the the eastern provinces and the west.

Still, it's not clear what Assad thinks he'll gain by angering the townspeople and inviting the rebels to attack.

1600 GMT: Fall of the Great Mosque in Aleppo. The Umayyad mosque in Aleppo was an area that was occupied by Assad forces for many months. Several months ago it fell to the Syrian rebels, who discovered stores of ammunition inside the building which they say was used by ground forces but also regime snipers. To our knowledge, that area has been held by rebels ever since.

According to rebels on the ground in the city, the mosque was attacked by tanks and ground troops today. A video even shows the rebels defending the inside of the mosque immediately as the minaret collapsed. However, it's still not definitively clear what brought down the minaret.

1518 GMT: Sectarian Tensions in Homs. Recent news between Homs and the border with Lebanon has been bleak and alarming. Hezbollah fighters and Syrian rebels have fought open battles on both sides of the border, and Lebanese Sunni clerics have called for a Jihad against Hezbollah fighting in Syria. Fears of sectarian fighting have never been this high.

Commanders from the Free Syrian Army rejected the calls for Jihad today, in an attempt ti defuse some of the tension:

"Our official position as the Supreme Military Command of the Free Syrian Army... is that we thank them but we reject any calls for jihad in Syria," FSA political and media coordinator Louay Muqdad told AFP.

"We reject any presence of foreign fighters, regardless of where they are from. We have said that what we are missing in Syria is weapons, not men," he added.

Meanwhile, the Homs Quarters Union, a group opposed to Assad's rule, has called on Lebanon to control Hezbollah.

"The previous crimes of the reckless mafia-like leadership of this militant party (Hezbollah) make any insanity expected of it, though it is surprising that the Lebanese political leadership's disregard for the destiny of their people would reach this degree of negativity and irresponsibility.

"We have often asked the Lebanese government to adhere to its commitment of allegedly distancing itself from the Syrian crisis while in reality it has given Hezbollah militias a political cover to hide its violations. It has even gone further with the complicity of its army and the security forces with Hezbollah whose heavily-armed members could have not flowed by the thousands across the Syrian-Lebanese borders without the knowledge and complicity of the Lebanses government."

This illustrates Lebanon's plight. Proxy wars have been fought on its streets, and it has been keen to avoid another civil war, but these newest developments are placing it in an even more precarious situation than before.

1428 GMT: Rebels Close in on Key Airbase. The Menneg airbase, north of Aleppo, has been surrounded by rebels for months. Rebel forces have pounded the airbase with mortars, makeshift rockets, and artillery. In recent days, however, they have forced some of the base's garrison to retreat, while others have surrendered. Today, it appears that the rebels have broken through the outer defenses of the base and are fighting for the control of its grounds.

The base continues to be supported by Assad airstrikes and helicopters, however, both of which are heavily engaged on the perimeter of the base. If the rebels can take the position, however, they will be able to reposition further south, bolstering their campaign to take control of Aleppo city.

1341 GMT: Great Mosque Collapses in Aleppo. The Umayyad Mosque, one of the jewels of Aleppo, has been destroyed today.

Syrian state media and anti-gov activists say the minaret of the famed Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo has been destroyed. Each side blames other.

— Tim Marshall (@Skytwitius) April 24, 2013

The minaret of the Great Mosque of #Aleppo collapsed due to fierce clashes ongoing for days between the Syrian army and the rebels #Syria

— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) April 24, 2013

The LCC provides this video of the destruction:

Ugarit News has posted a video of a rebel explaining how the minaret fell.

A picture of the courtyard before the conflict.

1318 GMT: Syrian Bishops Not Released? Yesterday, a major Christian organization in the Middle East reported that the two Syrian Bishops that were kidnapped two days ago had been released, and had already returned to a Cathedral in Aleppo. There was no official word, however, about who the kidnappers were, or how the Bishops were released. As the day went on, this lack of information became suspicious.

It now appears that no one knows where the Bishops are. The Guardian has spoken to a spokesman for the Syriac church, but he has no additional information.

The Syriac and Orthodox churches, the Catholic Pope, many in the international community, and the leaders of the Syrian opposition have all demanded that the bishops be released. Many of those just named have also said that they are actively investigating the location of the Bishops. As of now, however, the mystery continues.

James Miller takes over today's live coverage. Thanks to Scott Lucas, who is on the road, for getting us started this morning.

1301 GMT: Casualties

Activists and a regime office have said that been shells have struck near a municipality building and a school in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana.

Activists claim that 30 people have been killed, while the official said seven were slain.

0630 GMT: Near the Lebanon Border

Tuesday was marked by further clashes in southern Syria, between Homs and the Lebanese border. State media claimed advances by regime forces, with pressure building on insurgent-held al-Qusayr.

In response, insurgents --- who have warned the Lebanese organisation Hezbollah to stop its intervention alongside the Assad military --- fired at least two more rockets in Lebanon.

Fighting has escalated in the last month for villages, with Hezbollah, the regime, and the opposition all involved in trying to maintain or establish control.

In a wider context, control of the area is linked to the contest for Homs, Syria's third-largest city, where regime forces supported by Hezbollah have been able to tighten their grip.