As Syria War Escalates, Regime Turns to Scuds and Barrel Bombs

Ballistic Missiles Being Used to Supplement Airstrikes

by Jason Ditz, December 12, 2012

With the Syrian government seemingly eager to spread the rebels thinner and thinner by ceding remote areas that were only sparsely defended, they have remained determined to keep hitting those areas after they change hands.

Usually this means air strikes, but with a lot of territory to cover and a lot of rebel targets to hit, the Syrian military has reportedly fired at least six Scud missiles against different targets.

The US is warning that this is a significant new escalation, and also cites the use of barrel bombs, barrels filled with explosives and metal and dropped from attack helicopters as improvised bombs.

But while there is certainly escalation ongoing in the fighting, the shift to ballistic missiles may simply reflect how much bigger the battlefield is getting as the rebels move into the far east, and the regime may simply be pushing their air forces to the limit.

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