DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A prominent lawmaker from Syria's ruling party on Tuesday rejected conditions proposed by the rebel opposition for peace talks, effectively extinguishing the first glimmer of hope in months that Syria's civil war can be resolved through a negotiated solution.

Also Tuesday, fighting broke out between rebels seeking to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad and government forces near a Syrian border crossing with Jordan, injuring 17 civilians.

After 22 months and more than 60,000 dead, Syria's crisis appears to have reached a stalemate, with neither side making significant battlefield gains likely to bring about a military victory any time soon.