Syrian deserters strike military target

A fledgling force of Syrian military deserters struck an important government security complex on the outskirts of the capital Wednesday, a bold strike reflecting the resolve and confidence of the regime's opposition.

This occurred as the Arab League meets Wednesday to reaffirm its decision to suspend Syria's membership, a decision it took over the weekend after President Bashar al-Assad's government failed to abide by a proposal to end a brutal crackdown on protesters.

The defector group, called the Free Syrian Army, said it attacked an air intelligence base in Harasta and planted "powerful explosions inside and around the compound that shook its foundations."

Andrew Tabler, an expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said air intelligence has been deeply involved in the eight-month-long crackdown by the Syrian government against protesters, a grinding civil conflict that has left what the United Nations says is well over 3,500 deaths.

 Bloody clashes escalate in Syria "They are targeting innocent people" Syria faces growing isolation Violence spreads across Syria

He said the strike reflects the growing sophistication of the group, which has brigades across the country and has been in existence since the summer.

"It opens up a new era of the conflict," said Tabler, who said the development represents "a bad direction" for the county. "Until now, most of the protests have been peaceful."

The Free Syrian Army said it "carried out special operations in various areas in Damascus in order to spoil the plan that the regime is preparing against our people and our homeland," the group said.

The regime should "take note" that the deserter force "is capable of striking them in any place and at any time we want," the group said.

Activists said the deserter army used rocket-propelled grenades and the intelligence complex was damaged. Activists also reported damage at the complex in Harasta, an eastern suburb of the capital, Damascus.

It was one of five actions reported by the opposition force, which has recently emerged as an important factor in the opposition movement as more and more soldiers have left the Syrian army.

The opposition force also reported clashes with personnel loyal to al-Assad in several areas. They include Qaboun and Arbeen, Damascus neighborhoods and Saqba, a suburb.

There was also fierce fighting in Douma, a city in the Syrian countryside.

"A clash between the Free Syrian Army and Assad's criminal gangs and his mobsters (the shabiha) in Douma, our Free Syrian military caused the Assad's gangs a lesson that they will never forget and heavy losses at the roundabout in the Douma municipality," the army said. The shabiha are pro-government militias.

Tabler said the group consists of soldiers who've left their posts instead of obeying orders to fire on protesters. They are aligning themselves with the Free Syrian Army. He said they've also had active operations in and around Homs, Idlib and other areas recently.

Opposition groups like the Free Syrian Army have been calling on the international community to help protect protesters. They have urged the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone and naval blockade. Army leaders have said such policies could allow them to establish a base of operations to launch a campaign to bring down al-Assad's regime.

The Arab League -- which meets in Rabat, Morocco -- said al-Assad didn't stick by his pledge to release detainees, withdraw armed elements from populated areas and allow unfettered access to the nation by journalists and Arab League monitors.

The league has also called for unspecified sanctions against Syria and called on member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, a decision that will be up to each nation.

The Syrian Arab News Agency, a state-run outlet, quoted a government source as saying "Syria decided not to participate" in Rabat, where there will be a ministerial meeting of the Arab League council and an Arab-Turkish cooperation meeting.

And with the violence showing no signs of abatement, al-Assad's Arab neighbors have added their voices to wide international condemnation.

On Tuesday, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries rejected a call from Damascus for a special Arab League summit to discuss the situation, with its head, Abdul Latif al-Zayani, calling it "pointless."

Syria's former ally Turkey also added to the pressure Tuesday, threatening to cut off power supplies if Syria did not change course.

And Jordan's King Abdullah said this week that a person in al-Assad's position would step down, a statement observers interpreted as a call for the Syrian president to do just that.

For its part, the Syrian government freed 1,180 detainees Tuesday as part of the Arab League peace plan.

But opposition groups said the gesture was too little, too late.

The death toll keeps mounting, they said, with at least 81 killed in clashes Monday -- making it one of the deadliest days of the uprising.

At least 15 others died Tuesday, including two children, said the Local Coordination Committee of Syria, a coalition of activists.

CNN is not able to independently verify claims of fighting and casualties because the Syrian government has restricted international media access to the country.

By the CNN Wire Staff

CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report