Sitting amongst the foothills that make up the Syria-Lebanon border, residents in Zabadani say they are under constant bombardment by the Syrian army.<br/> The town is in the hands of rebels who say they are fighting a government crackdown. It has become a hub for deserters from the army, and despite the attacks, it appears to remain under the control of anti-government fighters.<br/> Amateur video footage obtained by Reuters shows a building damaged by shelling, which activists say is targeting "innocent people and children".<br/> Residents say it was hit on Thursday 12th January, shortly before government forces launched a massive crackdown on the town.<br/> The assault was the largest on opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since Arab League monitors arrived to oversee a peace plan that critics say has failed.<br/> Activists say around 200 families fled the town to escape bombardment by the 50 tanks they estimate were involved in the offensive.<br/> According to the United Nations, more than 5,000 people have been killed by security forces since pro-reform protests began in March.<br/> Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
