U.N.'s Ban fears for 2,500 civilians trapped in Syria's Homs

Some 2,500 civilians are trapped in the Syrian town of Homs, the scene of heavy fighting, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement on Tuesday according to Reuters.

Ban called on the warring sides to do their utmost to avoid civilian casualties. He was also concerned about threats to seize two Shi'ite villages in the northern province of Aleppo, the statement said, without naming the villages.