Government forces heavily shelled key rebel strongholds in central and eastern Syria on Monday, in clashes which killed 29 people, activists said.
Troops used helicopters to comb rebel positions in Rastan, in the province of Homs, in a bid to regain control of the city, which has been held by the opposition Free Syrian Army for months, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"Ground troops tried storming the city, but rebel fighters managed to confront them and force them to retreat," activist Omar Homsi told dpa from the central province.
"At least five soldiers and seven rebels were killed in the clashes," he said.
In the flashpoint town of Kussair, also in Homs, rebels attacked an army checkpoint on Monday morning, in an assault that "killed and wounded several troops," the Britain-based Observatory said.
Government forces shelled the town of al-Ashara in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, killing two civilians and wounding 45 others.
Violent clashes in Deir al-Zour on Monday also killed at least six soldiers, the observatory said.
A blast in the northwestern city of Ildib, another flashpoint in the 15-month-long revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, killed a civilian and four soldiers including an army officer.
Four civilians were killed in the central province of Hama during shelling by the army.
According to the Observatory, more than 14,100 people have been killed since the anti-government revolt broke out in March last year, including 9,862 civilians, 3,470 soldiers and 783 army defectors.
News coming out of Syria cannot be independently verified as the government has banned most foreign journalists from restive areas.
The surge of violence comes despite the presence of some 300 UN observers who have been in the country since April to supervise a shaky ceasefire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan.
Annan's plan stipulates an immediate halt to the violence, the removal of heavy weaponry by soldiers from restive areas and humanitarian access to all regions.
Source: GNA
Troops used helicopters to comb rebel positions in Rastan, in the province of Homs, in a bid to regain control of the city, which has been held by the opposition Free Syrian Army for months, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"Ground troops tried storming the city, but rebel fighters managed to confront them and force them to retreat," activist Omar Homsi told dpa from the central province.
"At least five soldiers and seven rebels were killed in the clashes," he said.
In the flashpoint town of Kussair, also in Homs, rebels attacked an army checkpoint on Monday morning, in an assault that "killed and wounded several troops," the Britain-based Observatory said.
Government forces shelled the town of al-Ashara in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, killing two civilians and wounding 45 others.
Violent clashes in Deir al-Zour on Monday also killed at least six soldiers, the observatory said.
A blast in the northwestern city of Ildib, another flashpoint in the 15-month-long revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, killed a civilian and four soldiers including an army officer.
Four civilians were killed in the central province of Hama during shelling by the army.
According to the Observatory, more than 14,100 people have been killed since the anti-government revolt broke out in March last year, including 9,862 civilians, 3,470 soldiers and 783 army defectors.
News coming out of Syria cannot be independently verified as the government has banned most foreign journalists from restive areas.
The surge of violence comes despite the presence of some 300 UN observers who have been in the country since April to supervise a shaky ceasefire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan.
Annan's plan stipulates an immediate halt to the violence, the removal of heavy weaponry by soldiers from restive areas and humanitarian access to all regions.
Source: GNA
