Shelling reported in Syrian city

Syrian troops shelled two rebel-held neighbourhoods in the central city of Homs today, activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombardment lasted for about an hour but there were no reports of casualties.

The shelling came two days after a ceasefire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan went into effect.

Violence reported over the last two days is much less than the daily norm of clashes and shellings before the truce.

Activist Tarek Badrakhan, who is based in Homs, and the Observatory said the shelling targeted the neighbourhoods of Jouret el-Shayah and Qarabees.

The truce is at the centre of Mr Annan's six-point plan to stop the bloodshed and launch talks between the regime and the opposition.