Fresh violence kills dozens in Syria's Homs
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Xinhua, November 4, 2011
Different accounts on deaths emerged Thursday from Syria's central province of Homs, one of the country's most volatile areas, a day after Syrian authorities pledged to withdraw its forces from protest centers under a peace plan initiated by the Arab League (AL) to end months of bloodshed.
The Qatari-based al-Jazeera TV quoted an activists group, Local Coordination Committees, as saying that at least 19 people were killed Thursday during army operations in Bab-Amro area in Homs.
The unrest-torn city has witnessed a flare-up of violence since Tuesday ahead of the AL ministerial committee's scheduled meeting with a Syrian delegation to discuss ways of putting in force the AL plan to defuse tension in the country.
Syria-news website reported that a total of 72 people were killed over the past 24 hours in Homs by masked gunmen who targeted passing cars and civilians.
The discrepancy couldn't be resolved as journalists are banned of independently heading to restive areas.
Earlier in the day, the private al-Watan newspaper said more than 24 people were killed in Homs on Wednesday, including 13 army personnel.
According to the report, the National Hospital in Homs received Wednesday 18 mutilated bodies along with tens of wounded, some in a critical condition. Al-Ahli Specialist Hospital also received several bodies and more than 50 injured.
Fierce clashes erupted late Wednesday in Homs after Qatari foreign minister Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, who led the AL ministerial committee, announced Syria's approval on the Arab initiative.
A peace plan for ending the months-long Syrian political crisis was reached Wednesday between the Syrian government and the AL.
The plan calls for stopping violence and withdrawing military vehicles from Syrian streets, in addition to releasing detainees and holding a dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the opposition.
The Syrian opposition abroad has shown no appetite in embarking on a dialogue with the Syrian regime and questioned its intention, accusing the regime of "trying to buy time."
Syria has overtly charged that some countries are behind the unrest in the country and even fund what it called armed terrorist groups it blames for killing hundreds of policemen and military personnel across the country since the start of violence in mid March.
Syria also says weapons have been smuggled into the country and reached hands of those terrorist groups via neighboring countries.
