The conflict has taken a more international dimension with the EU and Russia promising arms.

An emergency UN debate on Syria held in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday, May 29, 2013 to discuss the war in the country as the conflict gradually takes on a more international dimension, BBC reported.

The debate was sequel to a decision by the European Union on May 28, 2013, to lift its arms embargo on Syrian rebels. Russia reacted to the move by announcing that it would be delivering anti-aircraft missiles to the regime of President Bashar Assad. But the EU decision, observers say, may have little impact on Syria's two-year-old conflict since no single European country is expected to send lethal weapons to the rebels in the coming weeks.

Responding to recent happenings, rebels on the ground in Syria yesterday launched a blistering attack on the Syrian opposition coalition outside the country. The Revolutionary Movement in Syria said the coalition had failed to represent the rebels. The criticism comes amidst Russian and US efforts to arrange a peace conference on Syria next month.

Russia's declaration that it plans to supply sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Syria's government has stoked fears of a new arms race in the Middle East, ABC News said. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, confirmed that Moscow will send S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the Assad regime in a move designed to deter foreign intervention in the country's civil war. The Russian missiles are expected to dramatically boost the ability of Bashar al-Assad's forces to shoot down foreign aircraft aiding the opposition.

Already, Hezbollah fighters from neighbouring Lebanon have for some time been fighting on the government’s side while the West and a number of Arab countries have been aiding and abetting rebel efforts. China and Russia have so far blocked any effort at the UN Security Council to give an open cheque to opponents of the Syrian government.