Syria: Heavygunfire in the heart of Damascus in third day of fighting in Syrian capital "Machinegun fire was heard in the Sabaa Bahrat square, and members of the security forces, armed with Kalashnikovs, ran across the square," site of the country's Central Bank, one witness said. Two entry points into the square were briefly closed, and then reopened to traffic. The shots were fired as fighters in anti-regime neighbourhoods of the capital clashed violently with the army, while regime forces deployed helicopters to fire into several districts. A column of smoke could be seen on Tuesday billowing from the Midan district near the centre of Damascus, which has been pounded by regime troops since Monday. Meanwhile the number of Syrian refugees who have sought help from it since April has almost tripled to 112,000. The U.N. refugee agency says women and children make up three-quarters of the Syrians who it has registered or assisted in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Agency spokesman Adrian Edwards says Tuesday in Geneva that the actual number is probably "significantly higher" and that many Syrian refugees are completely dependent on humanitarian aid. Mr Edwards says at least 40,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Turkey. Jordan has seen 33,400 refugees, while 30,900 have arrived in Lebanon. Another 7,900 have sought sanctuary in Iraq.