Under siege in Homs

  • 12 years ago
Syrian forces shell opposition strongholds in Syria.

Amateur video out of Homs appears to show the government's relentless bombing campaign of activists strong holds.

The video, which could not be independently verified by Reuters comes as activists say at least 25 people have been killed in attacks on Homs.

More footage shows a man pointing to pock marked homes and vehicles.

He points to a home where he says two residents were killed.

Inside the house he walks through debris filled rooms.

Activists say President Bashar al-Assad has sent units of an elite armored division into Homs overnight.

Opposition groups say hundreds of civilians have been killed or wounded in the siege of Homs. They say terrified residents are enduring dire conditions, without proper supplies of water, food and medicine.

An elderly woman shows the home where she lives. She says she doesn't know what to do, that her legs can not carry her any more.

As funeral services are held in Homs in Geneva Syria's UN representative walked out on a meeting after demanding that countries stop providing arms to the opposition.

The European Union imposed sanctions on seven Syrian cabinet ministers Tuesday for their role in a bloody crackdown on dissent, the latest move aimed at forcing President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Assad says he is fighting foreign-backed "terrorist groups." His main allies - Russia, China and Iran - fiercely oppose any outside intervention intended to add him to the list of Arab autocrats unseated by popular revolts in the past year.

France said that the United Nations Security Council would start work on Tuesday on a draft resolution to halt the violence in Syria and enable humanitarian access to victims.

Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.

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