Syrian government troops trying to relieve a besieged military base in the country’s north-west ambushed a rebel checkpoint today, killing at least 12 opposition fighters, activists said.

Syrian troops fought intense battles today against rebels who are trying to capture two military bases in the northwest and step up their attacks on army compounds elsewhere in the nation, activists said.

Intense fighting between Syrian government troops and rebels trying to tighten their siege of two military bases in the north-east was reported by activists today.

The international envoy seeking a solution to Syria’s 21-month-old conflict said yesterday that political change was needed to end the violence which has killed 44,000 people, and called for a transitional government to rule until elections.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad yesterday sent a senior diplomat to Moscow yesterday to discuss proposals by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to end the conflict convulsing his country, Syrian and Lebanese sources said.