Syria unrest

Activists reported yesterday the Damascus headquarters of the ruling Baath party had been hit by rocket-propelled grenades.

There was no immediate confirmation of the report, but the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group of military defectors, claimed responsibility.

If true, the attack would signal a significant shift in the eight-month revolution against President Bashar Assad, bringing the violence that has engulfed much of the rest of the country to the heart of the Syrian capital, which has so far been relatively untouched.