Syria Preparing Army Attack?

There are reports that Syria is preparing a major Army assault on the town of Jisr al-Shughur, where the government claims 120 government troops were killed over the weekend. If so this could be a major escalation. But did the alleged massacre of troops really happen? The protesters have denied it, and some versions suggest government troops mutinied and joined the protesters, at which point loyal troops opened fire on them.

The danger of a Syrian descent into civil war seems to be increasing; even Josh Landis is using the term.