A helicopter is downed over the east of city as about 300 people are said to have been massacred in a town seized by the regime.

Footage posted on the internet showing the burning helicopter falling from the state TV acknowledged that a military helicopter had come down in the Qaboon neighbourhood.

Amer al Sadeq from the Syrian Revolution Union said the helicopter had been hovering over the eastern part of the city before it was downed.

“We could hear, as the helicopter was flying over, many fire shots. A few minutes later we could hear a huge explosion in the middle of many explosions that were happening,” he told , speaking from Damascus.

“It seems that the Free Syrian Army battalions in the eastern part of the city were using low-calibre machineguns.

“It is really good news for us to see one of the heavy machines used against us, used against civilians in the bombing of Syrian cities, being dropped down – and on live TV.”

Fierce fighting is reportedly taking place in the east of Damascus with heavy explosions were heard throughout the morning.

In the reported massacre in Daraya, it had initially been thought that about 200 people, including woman and children, had been killed as President Bashar al Assad’s forces seized the town from rebel control several days ago.

But the toll rose as more bodies were found in houses and basements, according to activists who said most of the victims had been killed “execution-style” by troops.

Pro-government television blamed terrorists for the attacks.

The official state news agency said: “Our heroic armed forces cleansed Daraya from remnants of armed terrorist groups who committed crimes against the sons of the town.”

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