Syrian warplanes pounded rebel bastions on Wednesday after a day of fighting that left more than 180 dead, as UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi urged China to help end the violence. In a week that has seen unprecedented air strikes, regime fighter jets on Wednesday again pummeled rebel-controlled areas east of Damascus where fighting has raged for months. At least five raids were carried out early Wednesday in the capital's eastern suburbs, where 30 civilians, including five children, were killed in air raids and fighting on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The violence killed 182 people across Syria on Tuesday, said the Britain-based Observatory, a key watchdog of the conflict. Analysts say the regime has boosted air strikes in recent days in a bid to reverse opposition gains on the ground, especially in Syria's north, and to prevent the rebels from taking control of further territory around the capital. Fierce clashes also erupted Wednesday in the northwest province of Idlib, where rebels attacked highway military checkpoints and battles raged over the rebel-held village of Maaret al-Numan and the regime-controlled Wadi Daif army base. After the heaviest wave of air strikes yet on Monday, on Tuesday a fighter jet hit targets inside Damascus for the first time, dropping four bombs on an eastern neighbourhood near to an opposition-held suburb. Rebels also claimed responsibility for the killing of a senior air force general, Abdullah Mahmud al-Khalidi, whom state television said had been assassinated by "terrorists". Visiting Beijing, peace envoy Brahimi said he hoped China would platy an active role in helping to bring a halt to Syria's violence. Greeting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at the foreign ministry in front of reporters, Brahimi said he hoped "China can play an active role in solving the events in Syria," without elaborating further.
