Syrian forces backed by tanks killed at least 14 civilians in the city of Homs today in one of the fiercest military assaults on urban centres to crush six months of pro-democracy protests, activists said.
Residents said the assault concentrated on old districts that have been seeing daily street demonstrations demanding the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
It came as the Arab League announced that its secretary general will visit Syria on Saturday and Arab foreign ministers will meet next week to convey concerns over the crackdown.
"Military helicopters are flying overhead and snipers are shooting from rooftops at anything. Tank machinegun fire is coming at us like rain," a resident of the Bab Sbaaa district told Reuters.
Human rights campaigners say Syria's ruling hierarchy has stepped up efforts to crush demonstrations in recent weeks, including more frequent military raids, targeted assassination of protest leaders and the arrest of thousands of Syrians.
Dr Assad (45) has repeatedly said he is facing a foreign conspiracy to divide Syria. The authorities blame armed militant groups for the bloodshed, and say 500 police and soldiers have been killed, with the military deployed to protect the public from terrorists.
Homs, hometown of Dr Assad's wife, Asma, is situated on the main northern highway 165km from Damascus. Old districts such as Bab Sbaa, Bab Dreib and Bab Hut have seen the biggest daily protests to demand that Dr Assad step down. Their mazes of streets help protesters escape from security forces, activists and residents said.
Residents of the nearby town of Rastan posted a YouTube video apparently showing 12 defecting soldiers in military fatigues appearing from a balcony of a commercial building to ecstatic cheers and applause of protesters. "We will be one hand to bring down Bashar and every traitor," said one soldier from a microphone in the video.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby had originally been expected to travel to Damascus today, but Arab diplomats said the visit was delayed at Syria's request.
An Arab diplomatic source said Syrian authorities delayed the visit after Mr Elaraby met Syrian opposition members and because of a leaked Qatari proposal for possible demands that Arab states would make to Dr Assad. The Qatari proposal had not yet been adopted, the source said.
Dr Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, has promised change, including a multi-party parliamentary election by February, but independent lawyers said a new political parties law kept an old majority quota system for farmers and workers whose representation is controlled by the state.
Tanks and troops moved into Homs four months ago and occupied the main square in the city to try to end protests demanding the removal of Dr Assad, who is from the minority Alawite sect in the mainly Sunni Muslim country.
Alawites dominate senior ranks of Syria's security forces and core army units that have besieged towns and cities.
Most of the casualties reported in Homs since the army deployed there have been caused by assaults on Sunni areas, but activists have also reported the deaths of several Alawite residents in apparent revenge killings.
Reuters