More Deaths Today In Syrian City Of Homs, Residents Say

By Mark Memmott

Published February 9, 2012 at 8:23 AM EST

A Syrian rebel runs for cover during an exchange of fire with army troops in Idlib, Syria.

"Syrian forces fired mortars and rockets Thursday in the rebellious city of Homs, the latest salvo in a weeklong assault that has killed hundreds as President Bashar Assad's regime tries to crush increasingly militarized pockets of dissent," The Associated Press reports.

Relying on reports from activists and residents in Homs, the AP and other news outlets say it appears that a brutal crackdown continues.

Al-Jazeera writes that:

"At least 29 people have reportedly been killed in ... Homs, as government forces continued a relentless assault on the central city for a sixth day. Activists said on Thursday that the bombardments centered on the neighborhoods of Bab Amr, Khalidiya and al-Bayyada."

The Guardian has even grimmer news:

"The activist group, the Local Co-ordination Committee in Syria, claims 56 people have been killed so far today. The vast majority of the victims were in Homs."

NPR.org's Ahmed Al Omran is curating news from Homs .

This anti-regime fighter retreated for medical treatment following an exchange of fire with army troops Wednesday in Idlib, Syria.

Because Syrian authorities have tried to prevent foreign journalists from reporting inside the country, it's not possible to verify all the reports at this time.

Meanwhile, asThe Guardian also says, "the U.N.'s failure to agree a resolution on Syria is 'disastrous' for the country's people, the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has said as President Assad's government launched its most intense bombardment so far of rebel-held areas."

The Assad regime has insisted it is targeting "terrorists." The U.N. has reported that more than 5,000 people, many of them peaceful protesters who died at the hands of army forces, have been killed in the past year.