Plumes of smoke rise from a military base that came under rebel attack on the Damascus to Aleppo highway.

Rebels, outgunned are not giving upt.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) BILAL SULEIMAN, LEADER OF THE MARTYRS OF TRUTH REGIMENT, SAYING:

"We are now tightly surrounding the military base. We are using light weapons, guns, rifles, machine guns, and light to medium weapons. On the other hand the regime uses heavy artillery, tanks, mortars and planes."

Rebels say they expect to win the war on the ground.

They are fighting in the streets.

They are firing from inside homes.

They battle against government forces with a bigger arsenal and a potent air force.

If both sides fight to the bitter end -- it may become the longest and deadliest war to emerge from the Arab Spring.

The wounded pour into Turkey.

The bloodshed has already killed some 44,000 people -- leaving some scared for life.