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Syria retracts weapons threat
Syria has said an earlier foreign ministry statement that it would use chemical weapons against foreign forces was "misconstrued and taken out of context". Britain had earlier said the threat from Damascus is "unacceptable"
Live updates
Syrian troops 'claw back' Turkish border posts
President Assad's forces have been stretched further today as the government move to reinforce their hold in Damascus against the Syrian rebel opposition.
Rebels gained control of key border posts into Iraq, say Iraqi officials, threatening to open up access for weaponry supplies. But troops have managed to retake crossings on the Turkish border, a reminder that Syrian armed forces have weapons that the activists cannot match.