Explosions Rock Syrian Central City
May 11, 2011
There are reports of fresh shelling in Syria's central city of Homs as government forces continue efforts to crush an anti-government uprising.
Activist Najati Tayara told Western media explosions rocked the city, Wednesday, as security forces moved through several neighborhoods.
The security force has been tightening its grip on key protest hubs across the country. On Tuesday, rights groups said the military had been sealing off cities and conducting house-to-house raids in search of people on wanted lists.
Rights groups say more than 630 civilians have died and at least 9,000 have been detained since protesters began calling for President Bashar al-Assad's resignation in March.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged President Assad to stop the mass arrests and heed calls for reforms. He made the comments during a Wednesday news conference in Geneva.
On Tuesday, western diplomats said Kuwait would replace Syria as a candidate for a seat on the U.N.'s top human rights body. Several envoys said Syria has dropped a bid for a spot on the 47-nation Human Rights Council under pressure from fellow U.N. member states.
Meanwhile, European Union sanctions against 13 Syrian officials close to Assad have gone into effect. The EU says it is trying to pressure the Syrian government to end what it calls a policy of "violent repression" against peaceful protesters. The EU has also adopted an arms embargo on Syria.
The sanctions do not target the Syrian leader himself. Assad's brother, Maher al-Assad, who commands the army's 4th Mechanized Division, and his cousin are among those hit with EU travel bans and freezes on their European assets.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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