Troops pound Homs, 19 killed in Syria

18 Jun 2012, 8:46 pm   -   Source: AAP

Syrian forces are pounding Homs as 19 people have been killed elsewhere across the strife-torn country.

Syrian forces pounded Homs on Monday as they pressed their campaign against rebel strongholds in the city as 19 people were killed elsewhere across the strife-torn country.

Monday's casualties come a day after 67 people were killed nationwide, including 15 in Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Shelling and shooting renewed in Homs city, with explosions heard in the Khaldiyeh neighbourhood.

"Regime forces trying to enter Khaldiyeh and other neighbourhoods are facing fierce resistance from rebel fighters."

Three rebels, including a dissident sergeant, were killed in Homs province by regime forces in the town of Qusayr near the Lebanon-Syria border, and a civilian died in shelling in the town of Rastan, the Observatory said.

And in Deir Ezzor, six people, including two rebel commanders, were killed in an explosion in the town of Mohassan, while four soldiers died in clashes elsewhere in the eastern province.

The Observatory reported armoured vehicles seen moving towards the Al-Jura district of Deir Ezzor city.

Clashes and shelling also went on through the night in several areas of Damascus province, including the towns of Douma and Qoudsaya, which have been pounded by regime forces for the past five days.

The Local Coordination Committees (LCC), grouping opposition activists on the ground, said Qoudsaya was shelled heavily, and that snipers were firing at anything that moved.

Fares Mohamed, an LCC member Zabadani northwest of Damascus, told AFP that Syrian forces had "imposed a suffocating blockade" on the areas around Qoudsaya and a nearby town.

He said the shelling began after an anti-regime demonstration in Qoudsaya.

Mohamed said "huge military reinforcements" had arrived there and that the wounded could not be treated because the shelling and sniper fire was so intense.

The Observatory reported one person killed in a blast in Damascus province, and that in Douma, a Damascus suburb, a "tenuous calm prevailed" after several neighbourhoods were bombarded and clashes between regime forces and rebels.

In the southern province of Daraa, one civilian was reported killed overnight as rebels clashes with the army in the Al-Lajat region.

Another civilian was killed in Tafas as regime forces stormed the town.

And in central Hama province, two young sisters were killed when the town of Qalaa Al-Madiq was shelled before dawn, the Observatory said.

Regime forces backed by aircraft also pounded for more than seven hours overnight a region known as the Kurdish Mountain in the northwest province of Latakia, forcing many residents to flee, the watchdog said.

The escalation in violence prompted UN observers at the weekend to suspend their monitoring mission.

More than 14,400 people have died in the 16-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, according to Observatory figures.

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