Syria unrest: More Arab League observers due to arrive

Homs has reportedly been a focal point of recent crackdown by the government

 

More Arab League observers are due to arrive in Syria as part of a deal with Damascus to try to end months of violence gripping the country.

The main opposition group urged them to go immediately to the central city of Homs, which is reportedly besieged by government forces.
A number of people have been killed in the town by mortar shelling and machinegun fire, activists say.
Damascus says it is fighting armed gangs intent on destabilising Syria.
More than 5,000 people have been killed across the country since protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March, the UN says.
Such claims are hard to verify as most foreign media are banned from reporting in Syria.