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| Struggle for Northern Syria Escalates | Struggle for Northern Syria Escalates |
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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — At least two dozen people, many of them Syrian government soldiers, died Wednesday when three powerful car bombs exploded in Idlib, according to the opposition, and the government announced that it was carrying out new operations in and around Idlib and Aleppo. | |
| The moves signaled yet another escalation in the struggle for control of the northern part of the country, an important area in Syria’s civil war. | |
| On Thursday, Syrian activists reported dozens of deaths in the central city of Homs, news agencies reported. | On Thursday, Syrian activists reported dozens of deaths in the central city of Homs, news agencies reported. |
| Omar Idilbi of the Local Coordination Committees, a collection of rebel groups, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that at least 37 civilians had died in the Homs fighting on Tuesday, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict from Britain, put the death toll at 106 people, including women and children. | |
| Also Thursday, Jordan, which has absorbed at least 187,000 Syrian refugees since the fighting began 22 months ago, said it would not allow a mass influx of refugees to cross over the border if the Syrian government collapsed. In a meeting with reporters, news agencies and Arab newspapers in Amman, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said, “If thousands of Syrian refugees are driven out of the country, we won’t welcome them inside Jordan.” Instead, he said, Jordanian armed forces will create a buffer zone within Syria to hold the refugees and protect them. The flood of refugees is straining Jordan’s limited resources. | |
| Wednesday’s developments followed at least two huge explosions that devastated the campus of Aleppo University a day earlier. Those blasts, which occurred as students took exams, killed scores of people. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack on the university. | Wednesday’s developments followed at least two huge explosions that devastated the campus of Aleppo University a day earlier. Those blasts, which occurred as students took exams, killed scores of people. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack on the university. |
| The explosions were the worst since the conflict — which has killed more than 60,000 people, according to the United Nations — began. The opposition and the government blamed one another. | |
| But on Wednesday, the State Department issued a statement saying that the United States “is appalled by the Syrian regime’s deadly attack yesterday near the University of Aleppo.” | But on Wednesday, the State Department issued a statement saying that the United States “is appalled by the Syrian regime’s deadly attack yesterday near the University of Aleppo.” |
| “According to eyewitnesses at the scene, regime planes launched aerial strikes in the vicinity of university facilities,” said the statement from the department’s spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland. | “According to eyewitnesses at the scene, regime planes launched aerial strikes in the vicinity of university facilities,” said the statement from the department’s spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland. |
| The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, also issued a statement regarding the attack at the university. “Deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian targets constitutes a war crime,” the statement said. It called on all those fighting in Syria to “abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.” | The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, also issued a statement regarding the attack at the university. “Deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian targets constitutes a war crime,” the statement said. It called on all those fighting in Syria to “abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.” |
| On Wednesday, military planes belonging to the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria struck rebel targets in Aleppo and Idlib. The Syrian Army vowed to crush the armed opposition to “cleanse the homeland of their dirt.” | On Wednesday, military planes belonging to the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria struck rebel targets in Aleppo and Idlib. The Syrian Army vowed to crush the armed opposition to “cleanse the homeland of their dirt.” |
| After the attacks on the university, the army said in a statement that its troops in Aleppo had killed and wounded dozens of “terrorist mercenaries,” its standard description for the rebels. | After the attacks on the university, the army said in a statement that its troops in Aleppo had killed and wounded dozens of “terrorist mercenaries,” its standard description for the rebels. |
| Government troops and rebels have been locked in a deadly stalemate in Aleppo and other areas in the north since last summer. Although the rebels hold large parts of the city, they have been unable to overcome the government’s far superior firepower. The rebels have increasingly targeted state security facilities and government institutions in other parts of the country, including the capital, Damascus. | Government troops and rebels have been locked in a deadly stalemate in Aleppo and other areas in the north since last summer. Although the rebels hold large parts of the city, they have been unable to overcome the government’s far superior firepower. The rebels have increasingly targeted state security facilities and government institutions in other parts of the country, including the capital, Damascus. |
| The government and the opposition gave differing accounts of the explosions in Idlib. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that three car bombings were aimed at vehicles near the local security headquarters and a checkpoint and that at least 24 people had been killed, most of them government troops. | |
| But Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said two suicide car bombers attacked two traffic circles, killing 22 people and wounding 30. It said security forces thwarted two other suicide bombers planning to target security forces and civilians in the area. | But Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said two suicide car bombers attacked two traffic circles, killing 22 people and wounding 30. It said security forces thwarted two other suicide bombers planning to target security forces and civilians in the area. |
| Also on Wednesday, clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government Kurdish gunmen in the town of Ras al-Ayn on the Turkish border, a Kurdish activist said. At least eight wounded Syrians were taken across the border to the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar for treatment. One of them died in a hospital, an official in the town said, according to The Associated Press. | Also on Wednesday, clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government Kurdish gunmen in the town of Ras al-Ayn on the Turkish border, a Kurdish activist said. At least eight wounded Syrians were taken across the border to the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar for treatment. One of them died in a hospital, an official in the town said, according to The Associated Press. |
| The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because Turkish government rules bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without prior authorization. | The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because Turkish government rules bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without prior authorization. |