Fighting Continues in Syria

Fighting between Syrian rebels and government forces continued in the capital Thursday, a day after a bombing killed the country’s defense minister and two other officials.

Fighting between Syrian rebels and government forces continued in the capital Thursday, a day after a bombing killed the country’s defense minister and two other officials. Rebels claimed responsibility for the blast Wednesday in Damascus, saying it represented the beginning of the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Syrian state television said the bomb exploded during a high-level meeting at the National Security building in Damascus, killing Defense Minister Daoud Rajha and Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad. A Syrian general also was killed.