Syria's Civil War Rages Amid Reports of Widespread Chemical Weapons Use By Syrian Soldiers

Syria Fighting Rages Amid Reports Of Chemical Attacks -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Heavy fighting raged on Monday around the strategic border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus, amid renewed reports of chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Opposition activists said Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters were advancing in areas around Qusair, pressing a sustained assault on a town long used by rebels as a way station for arms and other supplies from Lebanon.

For Assad, Qusair is a crucial link between Damascus and loyalist strongholds on the Mediterranean coast. Recapturing the town, in central Homs province, could also sever connections between rebel-held areas in the north and south of Syria.

Syrian government offensives in recent weeks are an apparent attempt to strengthen Assad's negotiating position before peace talks next month sponsored by the United States and Russia.

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Update #1: France's Le Monde says chemical weapons used in Syria -- Reuters
Update #2: Le Monde daily witness to chemical warfare in Syria -- France24

My Comment: If these chemical weapon reports are true .... and I know that the French have excellent sources in Syria .... it means that the Syrian civil war is now entering a new phase where chemical weapons are probably going to be used more frequently and targeted within local areas. So much for red lines.