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(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-130101-al-tawheed-01.photoblog900.jpg)Muzaffar Salman / ReutersA girl looks up to the sky after hearing the sound of shelling as she sits on a toy pony in the playground of Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo, Syria on Jan. 1.(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-130101-al-tawheed-02.photoblog900.jpg)Muzaffar Salman / ReutersChildren play in the playground of  Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-130101-al-tawheed-04.photoblog900.jpg)Muzaffar Salman / ReutersChildren play with a toy car in the playground of  Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-130101-al-tawheed-03.photoblog900.jpg)Muzaffar Salman / ReutersChildren sit on school benches at Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-130101-al-tawheed-05.photoblog900.jpg)Muzaffar Salman / ReutersChildren attend a class at Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.By Oliver Holmes, Reuters

Government war planes bombed opposition-held areas of Syria (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50337602#.UOPENm9WxBl) and President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels fought on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on New Year's Day on Tuesday.

A year ago, many diplomats and analysts predicted Assad would leave power in 2012. But despite international pressure and rebel gains, he has proved resilient.

The air force pounded Damascus's eastern suburbs on Tuesday and rebel-held areas of Aleppo (http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/aleppo), the second city and commercial capital, as well as several rural towns and villages, opposition activists said.

Related links:

• See more images of the conflict in Syria in PhotoBlog (http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/syria)
• Syrian government forces go on attack on first day of year (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50337602#.UOPENm9WxBl)
• Reuters cameraman wounded by Syrian sniper (http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/31/16271430-reuters-cameraman-wounded-by-syrian-sniper?lite)

Follow @NBCNewsPictures (https://twitter.com/NBCNewsPicturesclasstwitter-follow-button)  Slideshow: Syria uprising (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/48244949/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=48244949&wbSection=news)(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-120719-syria-uprising/ss-121213-syria-02tease.photoblog900.jpg) (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/48244949/displaymode/1247/?wbSlideShowId=48244949&wbSection=news)Muhammed Muheisen / APA look back at the violence that has overtaken the countryLaunch slideshow3commentintercourseplore related topics: children (http://www.theinfostride.com/children), education (http://www.theinfostride.com/education), syria (http://www.theinfostride.com/syria), school (http://www.theinfostride.com/school), conflict (http://www.theinfostride.com/conflict), world-news (http://www.theinfostride.com/world-news), aleppo (http://www.theinfostride.com/aleppo)

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