"Since early this morning, the neighborhood of Baba Amro has been under a tight siege and the threat of military invasion by an estimated 4,000 soldiers," said a statement from the SNC.
"The Syrian National Council demands that the Arab League observers go to Homs immediately, specifically to the besieged neighborhoods, to fulfill their stated mission," it added.
Three people died in the city on Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said one civilian was shot dead while two died of wounds.
Arab League observers were set to arrive in Syria on Monday, to begin monitoring under an agreement negotiated between the 22-member bloc, from which Syria has been suspended, and Damascus.
Call for UN support
The Paris-based leader of the SNC, Burhan Ghalioun, called on the league to involve the UN. Some opposition groups have expressed concern that the Arab League is not strong enough to fully implement its "road map" for peace.
"I call upon the Arab League to ask the Security Council to adopt its plan in order to increase possibilities of its success and avoid giving the regime an opportunity not to carry out its obligations," Ghalioun said in a televised message.
"The barbaric massacre must stop now."
A Sudanese general who is due to lead the observer mission flew to Damascus on Sunday in advance of other observers. However, the arrival of General Mohammed al-Dabi was not reported by Syrian state television news.
Syria has suffered daily bloodshed for months amid an increasingly violent uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The United Nations claims the death toll in the country now exceeds 5,000.
On Friday, a twin suicide bomb attack left 44 people dead in Damascus, with the government attributing the attack to al Qaeda and rebels blaming the regime itself.
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