Syrian activists say security forces have bombarded the flashpoint central city of Homs, setting fire to houses and killing at least five people in a key hub of a year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
The activists say at least two people were killed in Syrian military raids on other opposition centers around the country. The activist reports could not be independently confirmed because Syria tightly restricts foreign reporting in the country.
Turkey, meanwhile, suspended operations at its Damascus embassy, citing Syria's worsening security situation. Ankara's move further isolates President Assad and follows a recent series of embassy closures by Arab and Western nations critical of his violent crackdown on the revolt.
Western and Arab nations who call themselves the "Friends of Syria" are due to meet in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Sunday to discuss ways of supporting the Syrian opposition's struggle to end decades of autocratic government. Opposition activists were gathering in Istanbul on Monday to try to unite ahead of the Friends of Syria meeting.
The anti-Assad coalition has been trying for months to condemn Syria at the U.N. Security Council but Russia has repeatedly blocked such efforts, calling them biased against the Assad government, a longtime Russian ally.
U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged ongoing "differences" in the U.S. and Russian positions after meeting his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Seoul on Monday. But, Obama also said he and Medvedev agree on supporting international envoy Kofi Annan's efforts to "end some of the bloodshed" in Syria and begin a transition to a "legitimate" government.
Speaking alongside the U.S. president, Medvedev reiterated Russia's support for Annan's Syria peace plan, which calls on government forces and rebels to agree on a cease-fire and engage in dialogue. The U.S. and Russian presidents were in Seoul for a nuclear security summit.
<!--IMAGE-RIGHT--> Annan met with Medvedev in Moscow on Sunday and was due to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday to seek further backing for his peace proposals. Russia and China approved a non-binding U.N. Security Council statement endorsing Annan's mission last week. The U.N.-Arab League envoy's plan does not include Western and Arab demands for Assad to resign.
Syrian state news agency SANA said government troops foiled an attempt by terrorists to enter the country from Turkey, killing and wounding some of the infiltrators. It said Turkish medical teams evacuated the casualties. Ankara had no immediate comment on the incident.
The United Nations says more than 8,000 people have been killed in the Syrian government's crackdown on the uprising over the past year. Damascus blames the violence on what it says are foreign-backed terrorists.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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