Syrian activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's army of massacring more than 300 rebels execution-style in Daraya, a town close to the capital of Damascus. Several videos on the Internet showed rows of bloodied bodies wrapped in sheets and dumped in basements, most of which were fighting-age men but also included women and children (Holmes). .
Fighting grew particularly tense in Aleppo recently, as the 18-month-old rebellion came to a head. Government forces shelled, bombed, and executed the rebels, causing over 3,500 people to flee to the provinces of Kilis and Hatay in Turkey, according to the United Nations refugee agency. With the new refugees, the total number of Syrian citizens displaced into Turkey reaches record numbers at 65,000 people in nine different camps. Almost half of these refugees fled in the month of August alone. The increased number of refugees is largely due to the fighting in Aleppo and leaflets passed out by the Syrian government that encourages citizens to flee. Another factor that may have an affect on the rising number of refugees is the fact that Turkey refuses to take over 100,000 refugees. At the current rate, Turkey will reach its limit by the end of September (Cave). .
Rebels claim they control over half of the city, but they are quickly losing their grasp as the government forces begin to use their air power. Because the rebels cannot compete in the air, Western forces are considering interfering in Syria's conflict. "It is certainly a sign of increased concern on the part of the regime," said Christopher Chivvis, a senior political scientist. "The growing use of air power, particularly fixed-wing aircraft, raises the possibility of foreign intervention" (Karam). .
The uprising began peacefully, but has since surmounted to a brutal civil war with high death tolls and war crimes on both sides, although United Nations investigators accuse more of these war crimes on the Syrian government than the rebels (Holmes).
