Syria launches air strikes as combat rages in Damascus

Free Syrian Army fighters inspect ammunition that they said was fired by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces at the Free Syrian Army (FSA) base in Bab Al-Hawa, near the Syrian-Turkish border, November 26, 2012. REUTERS/Abdalghne Karoof

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian war planes attacked towns in the country's north and east and killed at least five civilians in a strike on an olive oil press as fighting raged in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, opposition activists said.

The latest fighting follows recent battlefield gains by the rebels in their struggle to topple President Bashar al-Assad, but it is far from clear if a strategic breakthrough is likely.