和平特使卜拉希米将首次访问叙利亚

The new United Nations-Arab League envoy for Syria travels to Damascus Thursday in his first official visit to try to revive efforts to halt the country's persistent violence.

Lakhdar Brahimi is expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the trip.

On Wednesday, Brahimi was in Cairo for talks with Arab League officials about the situation in Syria, where 18 months of fighting between government forces and rebels opposed to Mr. Assad has left about 20,000 people dead.

Syrian activists say the killing continued Thursday with deadly shelling by Syrian forces in the northern city of Aleppo.  

Brahimi replaced former envoy Kofi Annan, who failed to establish a cease-fire in Syria and open talks on a transitional government.