Violent clashes continued on Friday (August 17th) between Syria's armed opposition and the regime's military, AFP reported.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian ground forces exchanged fire with opposition fighters near the Mezze military airport in western Damascus.

The Observatory also reported clashes on the highway between Damascus and the southern province of Deraa, where it said two boys were killed in an army ambush.

In addition, some 65 unidentified bodies were discovered in the town of Qatana, south-west of the capital, the Observatory said.

Meanwhile, fighting erupted in southern Damascus from Thursday night into Friday morning, the opposition's Syrian Revolution General Council (SRGC) said.

"Helicopters and tanks shelled the area at random, and hysteria broke out [among residents]," the SRGC said.

In Aleppo, the scene of clashes in recent days, several opposition-held districts came under artillery fire on Friday.

The new violence follows reports that at least 180 people died across the country on Thursday, according to AFP.