Syrian troops 'kill civilians in Homs assault'

Syrian security forces have shot dead several civilians in the city of Homs, eyewitnesses and activists say.

Intense gunfire was reported overnight in Homs, with one resident telling Reuters there were "troops and armoured vehicles in every neighbourhood".

The latest violence is part of a crackdown on the four-month-old anti-government uprising in the country.

International journalists have been denied access to Syria, making it difficult to verify reports.

Residents said at least three people had been killed in attacks on districts across Homs on Tuesday. Activists said at least 10 had died in the fighting overnight.

"The irregular forces with [the troops] are death squads. They have been firing indiscriminately since dawn with rifles and machine guns. No-one can leave their homes," an unnamed resident told Reuters by phone.

It follows a wave of violence in Homs at the weekend.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people were killed in sectarian fighting on Saturday and Sunday, following the discovery of the mutilated bodies of three regime supporters.

The supporters were reported to be Alawites - the minority ruling sect of President Bashar al-Assad.

However, the Syrian National Human Rights Organisation said that only seven people were killed in the weekend attacks, which it said were carried out by security forces.

Human rights groups say that about 1,400 civilians and 350 security forces personnel have died in the four months of protest.

The government blames the unrest on "armed criminal gangs" backed by a foreign conspiracy.