Syria accepts peace deal, but war goes on

Syria has accepted a peace plan by UN envoy Kofi Annan that includes a government ceasefire, but the bloodshed persisted today as intense clashes between soldiers and rebels spilled across the border into Lebanon.

Any incursion into Lebanese territory would escalate a conflict over an uprising against president Bashar Assad’s rule that already has caused regional tensions. As the conflict spirals toward civil war, there are concerns that the violence could cause a broader conflagration by pulling in neighbouring countries.