Article updated: 12/28/2012 4:39 PM

Rebels besiege airports in northern Syria

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Protesters chant slogans and wave the Syrian revolution flags during a rally after the Friday prayer at Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, Egypt. Syrian rebels are fighting a 21-month-old revolt against President Bashar Assad's regime. Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed in the crisis, which began with pro-democracy protests but has morphed into a civil war.

Associated Press

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Syrian rebels stepped up their siege of a government helicopter base and clashed with soldiers near Aleppo's international airport on Friday, part of an effort to chip away at the air power that poses the biggest challenge to their advances against the regime of President Bashar Assad.