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Turkey Deploys Artillery near Syria Border Post

The Turkish army has deployed artillery and anti-aircraft missiles near a Syria border post being disputed between Damascus regime forces and rebels in fierce clashes, media reported Saturday.

A score of howitzer batteries and missiles were moved to the area as a precautionary measure amid continued fighting on Syrian soil for the control of the Tall al-Abyad border post, NTV news channel said.

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Free Syrian Army Infiltrates Arsal, Attacks Army Post

The Army Command announced on Saturday the infiltration of a Free Syrian Army unit of the Bekaa town of Arsal on Friday night.

It said in a statement that the unit, “backed by a large number of gunmen, infiltrated the outskirts of the town and then attacked an army post in the area.”

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Snipers Sow Panic in Aleppo as Fighting Rages

Troops clashed with rebels near the center of Aleppo on Saturday as snipers sowed panic in Syria's second city, residents told Agence France Presse as monitors reported at least 85 people killed nationwide.

The fighting raged in Suleiman al-Halabi, one of Aleppo's main streets, and the army prevented residents from venturing in the area as steady gunfire rattled the district.

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U.N., Arab League Leaders Discuss Syria Deadlock

The U.N. and Arab League leaders on Friday discussed deadlocked efforts to end the Syria war and unrest sweeping the Muslim world over a film mocking Islam, a spokesman said.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held talks with his Arab League counterpart Nabil al-Arabi ahead of the U.N. General Assembly next week when Syria is expected to dominate speeches by world leaders.

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Aoun: Army Incapable of Defending Lebanon against Israeli Assault

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed the importance of the complementary role of the army and resistance, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.

He explained that the Lebanese army is functioning as a border guard “and it would be incapable of defending Lebanon in case of an assault, especially an Israeli one."

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Bern: Swiss Hand Grenades Reached Syria

Swiss hand grenades exported to the United Arab Emirates were sent on to war-torn Syria, Swiss authorities said Friday, confirming reports that caused outcry in the fervently neutral country.

"Inquiries have shown that Swiss hand grenades delivered to UAE in 2003 and 2004 reached Syria," the Federal Department of Economic Affairs said in a statement, presenting the results of a two-month probe.

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U.N. Draft Resolution Calls for Extension of Syria Probe

A U.N. commission investigating the many serious rights violations in war-torn Syria should be allowed to continue its work and get more resources, according to a draft resolution presented in Geneva Friday.

The resolution drawn up by half-a-dozen other Arab states, which will be voted on at the U.N.'s Human Rights Council next week, calls for an extension of the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

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No Military Intervention in Syria, Says Top NATO General

NATO does not believe that military intervention in Syria would bring any improvement in the security situation there, a senior alliance official said Friday.

Germany's Manfred Lange, Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said the military was telling leaders that there was no good case for military action and the political process had to be pursued.

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Iraq Blocks North Korean Flight to Syria

Iraq on Friday denied permission for a North Korean aircraft to cross its airspace on its way to Syria over suspicions it would carry arms and advisers there, the Iraqi premier's spokesman said.

"Iraq forbade a North Korean airplane to cross its airspace on suspicion that it is carrying weapons and advisers for the Syrian side," Ali Mussawi told AFP, adding that the plane was supposed to cross on Saturday.

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Syrian Opposition Group 'Loses Contact' with Two Members

A Syrian opposition group tolerated by the government said on Friday that it had lost contact with two of its members who were returning from Damascus airport after a trip to China.

The two members of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change – Dr. Abdelaziz al-Khayer, head of its foreign relations office and Iyas Ayash, member of its executive committee member and leader of the Arab Socialist Movement -- had been met at the airport by a third member, Maher Tahan.

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