80 killed in latest Syrian violence: Activists

At least 80 people were killed Thursday in the latest government blitz on the besieged Syrian city of Homs, activists said, adding that some of the victims were burned beyond recognition. "Twenty three people have died in the shelling that began at dawn on the Baba Amr neighbourhood and one died in Khaldiyeh," said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The bodies of several of the victims in Baba Amr were completely charred," said the head of the Britain-based group. Abdel Rahman said the government assault on the central city, which began on Saturday, has left more than 400 people dead. Ali Hazuri, a doctor in Baba Amr reached by telephone from Beirut, said the shelling had eased overnight but resumed at daybreak on Thursday. "The shells are raining down on us and regime forces are using heavy artillery," he said. Omar Shaker, an activist in Baba Amr also reached by phone, added that residents of the neighbourhood were hiding on the ground floor of buildings as there were no underground shelters. "When you venture outside, you can see craters every 10 meters (yards)," he said.