Around 20 people were killed in the central Syrian city of Homs on Monday as about 50 Arab League observers arrived in the country. Syrian opposition urged observers to visit the city of Homs.
Syrian activists told Reuters that at least 20 people were killed in Homs, which has been besieged by tanks and other armored vehicles, with reports of frequent shelling and explosions.
Syria’s government said that it is battling with armed terrorists while the United Nations has estimated that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the government crackdown since mid-March.
According to the news agency, videos have surfaced showing tanks in streets near apartments. Other videos showed a number of dead bodies lying on a small street, with downed power lines, and burned-out cars.
“The violence is definitely two-sided,” a Homs resident who called himself Mohammed told Reuters. “I’ve been seeing ambulances filled with wounded soldiers passing by my window in the past days. They’re getting shot somehow.”
The opposition Syrian National Council told Al-Jazeera that the Arab League monitors should go to Homs immediately. The delegation that arrived Tuesday was led by Sudanese Gen. Mustafa Dabi.
“The Syrian National Council demands that the Arab League observers go to Homs immediately, specifically to the besieged neighborhoods, to fulfill their stated mission,” it said, according to the television station.
Friends Read Free