Syrian forces kill 10 as agreed pullout fails to happen

SYRIAN security forces killed 10 people in Homs yesterday, activists said, and there was no sign yet of troops leaving cities under an Arab League agreement to end bloodshed after seven months of protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria, under mounting pressure to halt a crackdown that the United Nations says has killed over 3,000 people, had agreed on Wednesday to an Arab League plan to pull the army out of cities, free political prisoners and hold talks with the opposition.

The authorities blame the violence on Islamist militants and armed gangs who they say have killed 1,100 soldiers and police.