Battling rebels reject Russian offer

Amman – Street battles raged at the gates of the Syrian capital today as President Bashar al-assad’s troops sought to consolidate their grip on suburbs that rebel fighters have captured only a few kilometres from the centre of government power.

Russia, a United Nations Security Council member and one of Syria’s few allies, said Assad’s government had agreed to talks in Moscow to end the Syrian crisis, but a major opposition body rejected any dia- logue with him and demanded that he step down.

The new fighting and Russian diplomacy came as the Arab League and France prepared to lobby the security council to act on a peace plan that would remove Assad from power, in a bid to halt Syria’s attempt to crush a popular uprising.

Activists and residents said Syrian troops now had control of Hamouriyeh, one of several districts where they have beaten back rebels who came as close as 8km to Damascus.

An activist said the Free Syrian Army – a force of military defectors with links to Syria’s divided political opposition – mounted scattered attacks on government troops who advanced through the district of Saqba, held by rebels just days ago.

‘‘Street fighting has been raging since dawn,’’ he said, adding that tanks were moving through a central avenue of the neighbourhood.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Syria had agreed to Russianbrokered negotiations, but senior members of the council that claims to speak for a fragmented Syrian opposition said Assad must quit.

‘‘We rejected the Russian proposal because they wanted us to talk with the regime while it continues the killings, the torture, the imprisonment,’’ said Walid al-bunni, foreign affairs chief for the Syrian National Council.