At a conference on Middle Eastern peace in Istanbul, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan condemns the ongoing violence in Syria.

Erdogan called the government-backed crackdown a "mass slaughter" and accused some countries of remaining silent only because of sectarianism.

The violence is exactly what happened in the Battle of Karbala, Ergodan claimed-- referring to a prominent part in Islam's Shi'ite tradition-- an uneven fight between a small number of supporters of Mohammed's grandson and the forces of the Umayyad caliph in 680 AD.

The significant inequality in numbers and strength between the two sides resulted in the death of Hussain, the Prophet's grandson, and his supporters.

Meanwhile in Syria, amateur video that Reuters cannot independently verify purports to show a smoke-filled alley-way in Aleppo where armed Syrian rebels are involved in a gun battle.

Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million, mirrors what is happening across the country.

Vastly outgunned, rebel fighters have dispersed into urban areas which are then pounded indiscriminately by artillery and warplanes until the guerrillas are flushed out.

The Syrian civilian death toll continues to rise-- with an estimated 18,000 killed since the violence began 17 months ago.