Elsewhere in Syria -- including in the cities of Hama and Deir Ezzor, as well as the Damascus suburb of Mleiha -- Free Syrian Army fighters clashed with Syrian troops, according to the LCC.

Heavy shelling and gunfire from government forces occurred in many other locales, such at Taftanaz in Idlib province and Ghanto in Homs province.

Aleppo was also a hub of activity, with the opposition group reporting shelling in the Bustan al-Qasr and Sakhour neighborhoods. The LCC also said that 20 Syrian soldiers from a single regiment defected to join the rebels in Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub and most populous city.