AFP, Nicosia, 7 Nov 2011 – Syria’s opposition called for ‘international protection for civilians’ in the central city of Homs, besieged by the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and theatre of deadly clashes between soldiers and alleged army deserters.
Declaring Homs a ‘humanitarian disaster area,’ the Syrian National Council urged the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to act ‘to stop the massacre committed by the regime.’
In a statement received by AFP in Nicosia, it called on the international community to send ‘Arab and international observers, instantly, to the city of Homs to oversee the situation on the ground, and prevent the regime from continuing to commit brutal massacres.’