Tank attack on Hama kills 300

A SIX-DAY tank assault on the Syrian city of Hama to crush pro-democracy demonstrations has killed at least 300 civilians, an activists’ organisation said yesterday, quoting refugees from the city.

The Local Coordination Committees said many of the wounded died for want of blood transfusions or lack of transport to hospitals due to heavy shelling of residential neighbourhoods by government forces.

The organisation quoted a refugee as saying shelling caused a fire on the second floor of al-Rayyes Maternity Hospital, used to treat some of the wounded.