Syrian opposition forms national salvation council in Istanbul

Syria's opposition elected a National Salvation Council to present a united challenge to President Bashar al-Assad's rule as he intensified a military campaign to crush an uprising against his rule, Reuters reports.

The opposition meeting in Istanbul took place on Saturday, a day after the biggest demonstrations so far in Syria's four-month uprising, during which at least 32 civilians were killed, including 23 in the capital of the country, Damascus.

Despite disputes over whether to form a alternative government or wait to see how the uprising unfolds, the meeting concluded with the election of a 25-member National Salvation council composed of Islamists, liberals and independents.