Smoke clears in the aftermath of a purported airstrike in Qusair, Syria.<br /> <br />Reuters is unable to independently verify the content of these videos, which have been obtained from a social media website.<br /> <br />A days-old battle, which has left the town in ruins, intensified on Friday.<br /> <br />The town lies in a strategic location near the Lebanese border and between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the coast, homeland to the Alawite minority sect of President Bashar al-Assad.<br /> <br />The Alawites are considered an off-shoot of Shia Islam.<br /> <br />The fighting pits regime forces and allied fighters from the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah against the largely-Sunni rebels, who are attempting to prevent it falling into regime hands.<br /> <br />Speaking on Saturday, the active chairman of the opposition Syrian National Council, George Sabra, urged Syrians to rush to the aid of the besieged rebels.<br /> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION ACTING CHAIRMAN, GEORGE SABRA, SAYING:<br /> <br />"We
