Syrian forces hammer rebel strongholds near capital (2)

It was not immediately clear who fired those shells.

Separately, the pro-government Sham FM quoted what it called as "official sources" as denying media reports circulated by the Saudi-funded al-Arabiya TV that a Syrian pilot defected with his war jet and struck army posts in Muadamieh.

In the north, clashes continued for a third straight day in the Kurdish-dominated Ras al-Ein border town between pro-government Kurdish fighters and armed rebels streaming in from neighboring Turkey, pro-government al-Khabar TV said.

Meanwhile, the opposition network Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said violent clashes took place between government and rebel forces near Khan Sheikhoun town in the northwestern province of Idlib.

It said the rebels clashed with the government forces to prevent military reinforcements to the Wadi al-Deif and al-Hamdiya encampments, adding that a military tank was destroyed and the fighting caused casualties form both sides.

The opposition account couldn't be independently verified.

According to the UN estimates, more than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since the unrest erupted in 2011. Also, the World Food Program (WFP) said that around 2.5 million people in Syria are in need of food relief but only 1.5 million can receive supplies from the agency.