video transcript

A helicopter buzzes atop what activists say is the Syrian city of Aleppo. Seconds later - an explosion rocks the country's commercial capital. Nearby, smoke rises from another building - part of what Syrian rebels say is an intense bombing campaign by government forces. The content of this video, obtained from a social media website, could not be independently verified by Reuters. But it would appear to indicate an escalation of clashes in Aleppo - a key battleground in Syria's 17-month old rebellion. The violence comes as Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi takes over a United Nations effort to bring peace to Syria. Many Syrian refugees at this camp in Turkey, though, doubt he will make any headway. "Lakhdar Brahimi or someone else - it's always the same," says this man. "The killings in Syria will continue." More than 18,000 Syrians have died since fighitng errupted last year.