Syrian troops clashed with army defectors in several areas near the capital Damascus in the first significant battles there since President Bashar Assad's forces regained control of the suburbs weeks ago, AP cited activists as saying Friday. The fighting came just hours before tens of thousands of people held protests in many Syrian towns and cities after Friday prayers, the activists said. The protests spread from the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest, to the central regions of Hama and Homs, southern province of Daraa. Also Friday, Turkey urged its citizens in Syria to return home, saying some consular services will be halted in Damascus next week. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that developments in Syria have brought about serious security risks for Turkish citizens and they are "strongly urged to come home." The statement said the Turkish embassy in Damascus will remain open.
