Assad's forces launched a major offensive
in the last two days against rebels in Homs, a centre of the two-year-old
uprising, in their latest drive to secure an axis connecting Damascus to the
Mediterranean.
Activists said jets and mortars had
pounded rebel-held areas of the city that have been under siege by Assad's
troops for a year, and soldiers fought battles with rebel fighters in several
districts. .Reuters reported
The National Coalition for Opposition
and Revolutionary Forces urged the International community for an urgent act in
Homs.
The main stream opposition body in
Syria called also on fighters of the Free Syrian Army to "close ranks in
the face of Assad's recent brutal attacks on Homs".
"Syria is in danger of disintegration
as Assad's forces supported by Iran, Russia and Hezbollah militias launch a
fierce offensive on the city of Homs," it said in a statement.
"The National Coalition calls on
battalions of the Free Syrian Army to come to the aid of Homs with all means
possible.
"We also emphasize the need for
immediate effective and decisive actions by 'Friends of Syria' including
through establishing a no-fly zone and carrying out military strikes against
Assad's basic military bases."
Najati Tayyara, prominent dissident
figure set off alarm bells, saying people of the besieged city fear the chemical
weapons, according to Eqtsad newspapers.
"For
the second day the regime jet fighters destroying Homs, killing civilians under
green light from the sleeping world,'' activists said.
Analyst to Zaman Alwasl said that
regime wants fiercely getting back Homs ants neighborhoods under his control,
before Qusayr and Tal Kalakh, Homs now the main target of Assad's forces which
backed by Hezbollah militia.
The Britain-based Observatory described as "unprecedented" the all-out shelling concentrated on the neighbourhoods of Khaldiyeh, Bab Hud, Hamidiyeh and Bustan al-Diwan.
Regime forces were using mortar
shells, rockets, tank shells and heavy artillery in the assault, said the
monitoring group, which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its
reports.
Homs, the third largest-city in the
country, was one of the first to join the revolt against The Assad regime more
than two years ago.
The 27-month-long conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives, the Observatory announced
Wednesday. Meanwhile, Assad’s forces, backed by militants from the Lebanese
Shiite movement Hezbollah, have made creeping gains in recent months.
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