In the skies above Damascus, a military jet drops flares --- an effort to deter heat seeking missiles away from the aircraft's engine, in this latest video posted to a social media website.br br And in al Rastan, a cloud of smoke hovered over the skyline after air strikes by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Locals carry away an injured man, while others begin a frantic search through the rubble for survivorsbr br Reuters cannot independently verify the content of this video.br br Rebels reportedly control many rural areas around Syria, but are stuck in a stalemate with Assad's forces in cities.