Photographs by AP

By DIAA HADID AND BASSEM MROUE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bullets and shrapnel smashed into homes in the Syrian capital of Damascus overnight as troops battled rebels in the streets, a show of boldness for rebels taking their fight against President Bashar Assad to the center of his power. For nearly 12 hours of fighting that lasted into the early hours Saturday, rebels armed mainly with assault rifles battled Syrian forces in the heaviest fighting in the Assad stronghold since the 15-month-old uprising began.