12 killed in violence as Syria activists call strike

A GENERAL strike was observed yesterday in several regions of Syria to step up the pressure on the regime, activists said, as fears grew of an “invasion” of the besieged protest hub of Homs.

In the latest bloodshed, 12 civilians were killed by security forces across Syria yesterday, including three children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Five people, including two of the children, were killed by gunfire in Homs, the group said, adding that at least 46 were also wounded in separate areas of the city when security forces fired from heavy machine guns.