114 die in Syria as MiG pilot defects

22 Jun 2012, 9:05 am   -   Source: AAP
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The Red Cross is attempting to reach trapped families in Syria as London and Washington step up diplomatic efforts.

Activists say at least 114 people have been killed in Syria, while Red Cross access to a troubled area has been blocked and a Syrian airforce pilot has defected.

Activists called Thursday "a bloody day" as heavy shelling gripped Homs, the southern province of Daraa and areas near the capital, Damascus.

International Committee of the Red Cross officials said they would continue attempts to enter Homs and evacuate civilians trapped in the crossfire the between rebels and government soldiers.

Earlier attempts had been called off because of fighting.

Activists have said more than 1000 families are stranded in Homs and dozens of wounded need urgent medical aid.

The bombardment of Homs could be heard across the border in Lebanon. At least 40 people were killed on Thursday in Homs, activists said.

Other victims included 29 civilians killed in shelling in the town of Ankeel in southern Daraa province, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The rest of the casualties were in the central province of Hama and in eastern areas, the group said.

Jordan said it had granted political asylum to a high-ranking Syrian pilot who landed his MiG-21 in the country.

The state-run Syrian SANA news agency quoted a Defence Ministry statement describing the defector as a "traitor of his country and his military oath".

Syria was contacting Jordan to return the plane, state television reported.

In Cairo, the head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, said his organisation would host a gathering of Syrian opposition groups on July 2.

"The aim is to unify the opposition's view on what is happening in Syria," he said.

Recent rifts among the various opposition factions have undermined their credibility in the world, observers say.

Britain's Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that London and Washington were prepared to offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "safe passage" to a planned international conference in Geneva on political transition in the country.

British officials believe that it is now "worth having a go" at attempting to negotiate a "transitional process" for Syria that would involve the president relinquishing power, according to the report.

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