12 killed as Syrian government forces 'shell village near Damascus'

Syrian government forces have shelled a village in a rebel-controlled area, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring several others who were sheltering in a banquet hall, opposition activists said.

The violence in the water-rich Barada Valley near Damascus, which has raged since December 22, has tested the country's fragile ceasefire and restricted the flow of water to the capital.