Troops shell rebel areas in north, central Syria

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers stand at the explosion site where a car bomb exploded near the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, seen in the background, suburb of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, June 14, 2012. A car bomb exploded Thursday in a Damascus suburb that is home to a popular Shiite Muslim shrine, wounding at least two people, Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported, while activists said regime troops continued shelling rebellious areas in central Homs province. (AP Photo/SANA)?(Anonymous)

BEIRUT ? Activists say Syrian troops are shelling rebel-held areas and clashing with opposition fighters in several locations across the country.

The assault is part of a regime offensive that began earlier this week to recover territories controlled by rebels.

The Local Coordination Committees and Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights say troops bombarded the northern town of Anadan in the northern Aleppo province on Friday. The Observatory says one person was killed.

The groups say troops have also shelled the rebel-held neighborhoods of Khaldieh and Jouret al-Shayah in the central Homs province.

Syrian troops have been sweeping through villages and towns in Syria's northern, central, southern and seaside provinces this week. It appears to be the largest offensive since an internationally-brokered cease-fire went into effect two months ago.

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