Syrian warplanes and artillery on Friday hit targets near Damascus International Airport, activists said, as clashes continued around the capital city.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from Friday's shelling, which targeted the towns of Beit Sahm and Shebaa near the main airport road south of the capital.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees also reported clashes in rebel strongholds of Daraya and Moadamiyeh, southwest of Damascus.

Recent rebel advances in the Damascus suburbs, combined with the bombings and three straight days of mortar attacks, mark the most sustained challenge of the war for control of Assad's powerbase.

[AP]