Syrian planes strike rebel held military base

A building hit by airstikes

Syrian warplanes bombed rebel held areas near Damascus on Thursday as President Bashar Assads troops battled opposition fighters for control of a strategic road that links the capital with the main airport.The fighting around Damascus was part of the government offensive to get rid of rebels from towns and villages around the Syrian capital which have been places held by rebels for a few years.The Britain based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighter jets carried out eight airstrikes on Daraya a suburb close to a key military air base southwest of Damascus. The group which relies on reports from activists on the ground also said heavy fighting was reported near Damascus International Airport and that the regime was shelling the town of Aqraba along the airport road.