NEW: A witness says tanks fired into homesNEW: At least seven people were killed, a human rights group reportsNEW: The U.N. chief urged an end to operations targeting civiliansThe clashes followed deadly protests Friday
(CNN) -- Syrian forces pounded the western city of Homs Saturday with jets and tanks, sustaining fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, activists told CNN.
At least seven people were killed in the clashes in Syria Saturday, six of them in Homs, according to the Local Coordination Committees (LCC) of Syria, an opposition group that organizes and documents protests in Syria.
Rami Abdel Rahman, president of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported at least four deaths in Homs Saturday.
He said the fierce fighting has been ongoing between armed military defectors and loyalist forces.
For weeks, the military has parked tanks at the entrance to Bab Amer, a Homs neighborhood known as the epicenter of anti-government activity, an activist told CNN Saturday. After the Saturday morning crackdown, the military established new checkpoints and a much heavier presence, the activist said.
He said he heard jets overhead around 9:30 in the morning. A few minutes later, tanks began firing into buildings and homes.
Security forces also cracked down in other Syrian cities Saturday, the LCC reported. There was heavy presence of troops in parts of Edleb and raids in Deir Ezzor.
CNN could not independently confirm the accounts because Syria has not granted international media access to the country.
The clashes erupted after Friday's massive demonstration in Hama where Syrians demanded an end to President Bashar al-Assad's rule and called for his prosecution.
Demonstrators also called on the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone, naval blockade and other measures to protect Syrian protesters.
Security forces fatally shot 35 civilians during protests across the nation Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least 100 others were wounded and 500 arrested in several provinces, the opposition group said.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Friday's killings. He said the deaths of more than 3,000 people killed since the start of the Syrian uprising amounts to an "alarming" toll.
Ban appealed for an end to military operations against civilians.
Meanwhile, the state-run news agency SANA reported that funerals were held Saturday for 15 members of the security forces killed in clashes last week.
CNN's Arwa Damon contributed to this report.
View the original article here
