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'Many dead' in fresh Homs attacks 'Many dead' in fresh Homs attacks
(about 1 hour later)
Activists say at least 12 civilians have been killed in the embattled Syrian city of Homs, with unconfirmed reports putting the toll much higher. Activists believe as many as 47 people have been killed in an attack by pro-government militia in the embattled Syrian city of Homs.
One activist in Homs, Hadi Abdallah, told the AFP news agency the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were found in two neighbourhoods of the city. Women and children are said to among those who were reportedly tortured and killed on Sunday night in the neighbourhood of Karm el-Zaytoun.
The Syrian government acknowledged the deaths, but blamed "armed terrorists".
The attack happened hours after UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan ended his two-day mission to Damascus.
Homs has been under assault for weeks as government forces have tried to root out rebel fighters. Parts of the city are devastated.
'Burned alive'
Hundreds of families fled the Karm el-Zaytoun area of the city on Monday after reports of the attack in their neighbourhood overnight, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
One activist in Homs, Hadi Abdallah, told AFP news agency the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were found, some with their throats slit and others bearing stab wounds.
Both the opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) and the Local Coordination Committees (LCC) put the toll at 45.
The SRGC said that some of the victims had been burned alive with heating fuel poured over them and others had their necks and limbs broken.
Reports are difficult to verify because of tight restrictions on independent media operating in Syria.Reports are difficult to verify because of tight restrictions on independent media operating in Syria.
Homs has been under assault from government troops for weeks. Footage posted on YouTube said to show the bodies of men, women and children killed in the attack made for grim viewing, said the BBC's Jon Donnison in neighbouring Lebanon.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 12 people had been killed overnight in the city. Both the LCC and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed the pro-government Shabiha militia for the attack.
Another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, put the figure at 45. The Shabiha has been blamed for many of the atrocities carried out since the uprising began nearly a year ago.
Both groups said the dead included children, and blamed the pro-government Shabiha militia. Activists say their presence has allowed the government to deny any involvement in the most brutal actions against protesters.
Syria's state media blamed "armed terrorists" for the deaths. Kofi Annan left Syria on Sunday after two days off talks with President Bashar al-Assad, saying he was "optimistic" that a peace deal could be found.
The main opposition group, the Syrian National Council (SNC), has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the killings, the AFP news agency reports. He said he had presented Mr Assad with "concrete proposals" to bring an end to the bloodshed, but gave no hint that a deal was imminent.