Ten killed as Syrian troops shell Homs, opposition activists say

Feb 6, 2012, 7:31 GMT

Beirut - At least 10 people died and dozens were wounded early Monday after Syrian troops shelled parts of the central province of Homs, opposition activists told dpa.

'Dozens of shells fell on the neighbourhoods of Baba Amr and al-Bayyada hitting residential buildings and setting several on fire,' said Omar Idlibi, spokesman of the opposition Local Coordination Committee.

'Ambulances were so far unable to reach the area to save the wounded because of the intensity of the shelling,' he said.

Broadcaster Al Arabiya reported that Syrian army helicopters were also being used in the attack.

Heavy shelling in Homs on Friday and Saturday killed an estimated 260 people.

Meanwhile, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said army defectors attacked a military post at dawn in the province of Idlib, near the Syrian-Turkish border, killing three officers and capturing 19 soldiers.

According to the last United Nations estimate in January, more than 5,400 people have died in the Syrian regime's crackdown on pro-democracy activists since mid-March. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which regularly updates the number of casualties, says more than 6,800 people have died.

Monday's fresh bombardment of Homs comes ahead of a visit to Syria by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Foreign Intelligence Service chief Mikhail Fradkov, who are expected to meet President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Tuesday.

Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria which had the support of other western and Arab countries.