In Syria, accounts of torture persist as tensions rise along border with Turkey

In Syria, clashes continued in cities across the country, and along the border with Turkey as tension increased in the region. Turkey said it deployed fighter jets to an airbase near the border and reported shelling from Syria. Turkey has returned fire into Syria. Speaking in Brussels today, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Turkey has a right to defend itself within international law and that NATO is prepared to act.

“We have all necessary plans in place to protect and defend Turkey if necessary. We hope it won’t be necessary. We hope that all parties will show restraint and avoid an escalation of the crisis.”

Some of the most intense fighting is taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, where forces are locked in a battle for the city. For more, we’re joined from Beirut, Lebanon by Sebastian, a photojournalist who recently returned from inside Syria, where he was reporting on the situation in Aleppo. We’re using only his first name for safety reasons.