Two years into an uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, violence in the country shows no sign of abating. The UN estimates that more than 70,000 people have been killed in vicious fighting between Assad loyalists and rebel forces, who now control roughly half of the country as well as most border posts. Around a million Syrians displaced by the fighting have sought refuge along the country's borders, including several hundred thousand in Turkey alone. Rising tensions between Damascus and Ankara have sparked fears of a regional conflict, with Syrian and Turkish forces exchanging fire last October. The tension has also spilled over into neighbouring Lebanon, where street clashes have erupted between pro- and anti-Damascus gunmen. But with Russia and China ready to veto any UN resolution that calls for stricter sanctions on the regime, the international community remains divided on how to resolve the crisis.
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