Tanks move in to take central Hama

Tanks took over a main square in the besieged Syrian city of Hama and power was cut off as President Bashar Assad showed no sign of halting the intense military assault against anti-government protesters.

At least three tanks took up position in central Assi square, which had been thronged by hundreds of thousands in the weeks before the latest crackdown in some the largest demonstrations against Assad’s rule.

For the past four days Syrian troops have tightened their siege on Hama, sending residents fleeing for their lives. The death toll since Sunday has reached around 100 people, but the exact figure is difficult to verify.

There were reports of a new military push into the city, with fresh explosions and machine gun fire heard in many parts of the city.

“We are being subjected to shelling, machine gun fire, snipers fire, everything you can think of,” said activist Omar al-Hamawi.

He said the shelling was mostly targeting al-Hader neighbourhood but sporadic tank and gunfire was also heard in other parts of the city.

“Early this morning people heard the sound of bombs,” said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “Then the phone lines were cut.”

He said residents on the outskirts of Hama reported seeing lines of tanks heading toward the city early in the day, and the blasts were heard soon after.

The observatory relies on a network of sources on the ground throughout Syria.

The operation has drawn a fresh wave of international condemnation against a regime defying the growing calls to end its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met US-based Syrian democracy activists as the Obama administration weighed new sanctions on Syria. Congressional calls also mounted for action against Assad’s regime.

Italy has recalled its ambassador to Syria “in the face of the horrible repression against the civil population” by the government, which launched a new push against protesters as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began.

It was the first European Union country to pull its ambassador, and the measure came a day after the EU tightened sanctions on Syria.

The mounting international outcry has had no apparent effect so far in Syria.

About 1,700 civilians have been killed since the largely peaceful protests against Assad’s regime began.