Bloodshed in Syria continued relentlessly Monday as Opposition sources reported 22 people were killed in violence across the country.
According to the report, President Bashar Assad's troops, assisted by helicopters, pounded on a key rebel stronghold in central Homs province.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Assad's forces also shelled rebel positions in the town of Rastan, adding that the Syrian military has been trying to overrun Rastan since mid-May.
Heaving fire was also recorded in Jourat al-Shiah, in Homs city, as well as other districts "where the regime lost control months ago," the watchdog said.
In Qusayr, another town in Homs, armed rebels attacked an army checkpoint in an assault that "killed and wounded several troops," the Observatory said.
Activists in Hama said that "Regime forces have entered the Shaghoureit and Qastoun villages in Hama.
"We are worried about how much violence there might be there right now, because we have heard that regime forces are using residents as human shields."
The eastern province of Deir al-Zour also came under fire Monday, killing two civilians and a rebel fighter. Violent clashes left at least six regime troops dead as well.
A blast in the northwestern city of Idlib killed a civilian and four regime forces including an army officer.
The UN believes that more than 14,100 people have been killed since the revolt against Assad broke out in March of 2011, including 9,862 civilians.
