Bloody Offensive on Homs to be continued, day 6

National Coalition renewed the pleas to the international community to take action to protect civilians in the embattled city of Homs.

The Syrian National Coalition on Friday appealed to the United Nations and Western countries that have supported the opposition in Syria's civil war “to intervene immediately'' and provide food and medicine to the besieged, rebel-held areas of the central city, according to Al Jazeera.

Assad's forces have been bombarding Homs for five straight days, the coalition said in a statement. It said clashes between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad troops flared up again in Friday morning. The appeal comes as opposition figures are meeting in Turkey to elect a new leadership.

Khalid Saleh, a spokesperson for the Syrian National Coalition, warned that the fall of Homs would jeopardise any political solution for the country.

The situation in Homs has "deteriorated tremendously" and that the Syrian regime "has its mind set on taking Homs even if that means killing tens of thousands of people," he said.

The coalition on Thursday began the process of selecting a new leader from five official candidates who include interim president Georges Sabra and the former president of the Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalioun.

Saleh emphasised that the new leader would have to heal rifts in the fractured coalition.

"We are at a critical juncture in the revolution," he said to Aljazeera.

"The coalition knows it is important to respond to the challenges with which we are confronted."

Russia blocks UN appeal

In relevant development, Russia, yesterday, blocked a UN Security Council demand that Syria allow immediate access to thousands of civilians trapped in Homs, diplomats said to AFP.

Diplomats said Russia’s opposition to the statement proposed by council members Australia and Luxembourg was a new sign of a growing international split over the 27-month old conflict.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon raised fears this week for an estimated 2,500 civilians that he said were “trapped" in Homs’ Old City. UN humanitarian agencies say they have medical supplies ready but cannot get in.

Russia, Assad’s key international ally, similarly blocked a UN Security Council call last month for access to rebel held Al-Qusayr until government forces had taken the key town.

The proposed statement expresses “grave concern about the estimated 2,500 civilians trapped in Homs."

It calls on the Syrian government “to facilitate immediate, safe and unhindered access, in accordance with the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance." The statement stresses that medical assistance was particularly urgent in Homs.

"The Russians have asked for changes," said one UN diplomat. “What they are asking means that there is no chance we will agree anything today, even though the situation is now urgent," added a second UN diplomat, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It is quite clear, this shows that it is impossible for us to reach an agreement on Syria," said a diplomat from a Security Council nation who confirmed the deadlock.

Russia and China have used their powers as permanent members of the Security Council to veto three western proposed resolutions which sought to increase pressure on Assad.

Russia and the United States have said they want to hold an international conference on Syria. But original plans for a meeting in May have been pushed back to at least September and some UN diplomats say they now doubt a conference can be convened.

Coalition calls on FSA

Coalition called on fighters of the Free Syrian Army to "close ranks in the face of Assad's recent brutal attacks on Homs."We call on battalions of the Free Syrian Army to come to the aid of Homs with all means possible. 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," Coalition addressed.

"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." Coalition's statement demanded.

''The war on the besieged city is fateful, Head of Homs Local council said in a message delivered to the national Council and to the Chiefs of Staff; losing the city will be big loss to the revolution and to the opposition, losing the war will be unbearable tough loss, he added.

Local council president expressed his big fears and worries if the opposition will not act quickly. Pointing out to something very weird and unintelligible; why all this negligence to the capital of Syrian revolution.

He also inquired about the fate of the promised qualitative arms, stressing that some deny that it received something in the first place.

And ended the head of the local council in Homs his repeated warning of what he called "something wrong" unexplained toward the capital of revolution, describing the battle now as decisive, "either to victory or defeat"

Najati Tayyara, prominent dissident figure set off alarm bells since first day of the assault, saying people of the besieged city fear the chemical weapons, according to Eqtsad newspapers.

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.

Walid al-Bunni, Coalition Member told Zaman Alwasl about Coalition intention to announce collective resignations if the international community will not act to save Homs.

Another dissident, Dr. Kamal al-Labwani, asked to establish a new political body includes a military executive board along side with selected number of opposition figures, according to Zaman Alwasl reporter.

Coalition Secretary General, Mustafa Sabbagh, proposed urgent meetings represented by National Coalition and chief of Staff with the influential leaders in the international community to find concrete solution to the Syrian crisis otherwise the opposition and the military supreme council will not attend on talks within Geneva 2.

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.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said troops were trying to storm Khaldiyeh and that fighting was underway around the Old City, two districts that have been under army siege for around a year.

Homs, the third largest-city in the country, was one of the first to join the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's regime more than two years ago.

The Observatory chief said the army appeared to be trying to "isolate the south of (central) Hama province and the north of Homs province to cut the supply lines between the two provinces."

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.

Editing by Mohamed Hamdan