Syria’s rebels seek support

Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States - collectively known as the Friends of Syria - gathered in London Thursday. The group is meeting days after UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi announced his resignation, effective at the end of the month.

"There is broad agreement we need to redouble our efforts in Syria," US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told the AFP news agency on Thursday.

Opposition leader Ahmad Jarba pleaded for anti-aircraft missiles to shoot down regime planes, which have dropped deadly barrel bombs on Syrian civilians.

Tensions over the conflict in Ukraine have hindered international efforts to mediate Syria's civil war.

Journalists freed

The Times of London reported Thursday that a gang seized the writer Anthony Loyd and photographer Jack Hill along with their guide as they attempted to return to Turkey, a transit point to Europe, from Aleppo.

The guide managed to get away after he and Hill overpowered one of the men, but the group recaptured the photographer and shot Loyd to prevent any more escape attempts. The Times reported that the group eventually freed the journalists under the orders of a rebel commander from the Islamic Front and they managed to cross the border into Turkey on Wednesday after receiving treatment in a Syrian hospital.

More than 150 journalists have been killed since Syria's civil war began in March 2011. Earlier this month, Reporters Without Borders announced at least nine foreign journalists and more than 20 Syrian news providers are being held hostage or missing in the country. According to Reporters Without Borders, the government also has at least 40 Syrian journalists in its prisons.

Massive attack

On Wednesday, rebels detonated explosives they had planted in a tunnel under a military base.

"The heroes of the Islamic Front, in coordination with the Furqan Brigade, blew up the Wadi Deif base … after digging an 860-meter (2,800-foot) tunnel packed with 60 tons of explosives," the rebel faction that claimed responsibility for the attack announced in a statement.

At least 150,000 people have died and millions have fled their homes during Syria's three-year civil war. Battles, air strikes, car bombs, shelling and executions regularly kill more than 200 people a day in Syria. Recruits from around the world have attempted to aid the rebel cause.

mkg/dr (Reuters, AFP, AP)