Official: Syria fires Scud missiles at rebels

A U.S. official says Syrian government forces have fired Scud missiles at insurgents in recent days, a move that escalates the 2-year-old conflict in the Mideast nation.

 

   The official confirmed a report that forces of President Bashar Assad have fired the missiles from the Damascus area into northern Syria. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter publicly.  He estimated that the number of Scuds fired was more than a half dozen.

 

   The official says there was no indication that chemical weapons were aboard the missiles. Officials have said over the past week that they feared rebel advances were prompting Assad to consider using chemical weapons.