More gunfire heard in restive Syrian city

Residents of a besieged Syrian coastal city said heavy machine gun fire was heard in several districts as President Bashar Assad’s offensive in Latakia entered its fourth day.

They said most of the shooting was taking place in the impoverished al-Ramel and al-Shaab neighbourhoods.

Syrian activists said the government crackdown killed 15 people across the country yesterday, including at least five in Latakia.

The UN refugee agency said yesterday that more than 5,000 Palestinians fled a camp in al-Ramel after Syrian forces shelled the area as part of their military assault to root out dissent. The UN has demanded access to the area.

Mr Assad has dramatically escalated the crackdown on Syria’s five-month-old uprising since the start of Ramadan.