40 mortar rounds hit Damascus, killing 7

At least seven people were killed and over 50 others wounded in the rebels' mortar attack on the capital Damascus on Sunday, according to local press and opposition activists.

A rebel group in the eastern countryside of Damascus fired around 40 mortar rounds that slammed into residential areas, mainly the upscale neighborhoods of Malki and Abu Rummaneh, and the al-Mazzeh district.

Last week, the leader of the so-called Islam Army rebel group, Zahran Aloush, threatened that he would rain down the capital with mortars and rockets on Sunday to retaliate against the government troops' shelling of rebel-held areas in the eastern countryside of Damascus.

The local al-Watan news website said that the Syrian troops responded with heavy fire and shelling against positions of the Islam Army in the Damascus' eastern suburb of Douma, which is their main stronghold.

Following the exchange of fire and shelling and the heavy blows that his militant group sustained, Aloush reportedly backed down from further shelling the capital, according to al-Watan.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity on Sunday that the Syrian troops would "firmly" respond to any targeting of the capital.

"The Syrian army is on high readiness and would decisively respond to any rocket that would slam the capital," the source said.

Al-Watan, meanwhile, said the heavy response of the Syrian troops to the mortar attack is a clear message that "the Syrian troops will not allow any breach into the capital and no one can test the army's firepower without burning in it." Endit