Syrian troops backed by tanks shelled the city of Hama again yesterday, killing at least six more civilians and injuring dozens.
Hospitals in the city were said to be overwhelmed, with the death toll reaching at least 84 since the renewed crackdown on protests by President Bashar al-Assad began at the weekend.
In response, the European Union expanded its sanctions against Syria, imposing asset freezes and travel bans against five more military and government officials.
The United Nations Security Council was meeting in emergency session late last night to discuss the crisis.
But Foreign Minister William Hague ruled out confronting the regime, saying there was no international appetite for military action.
Instead, he wanted “additional sanctions” to ratchet up the pressure on Assad’s regime. “We want to see stronger international pressure all round,” said Mr Hague. “It is a very frustrating situation. The levers we have are very limiting.”
The escalating crackdown appears aimed at preventing the protests from swelling during the holy month of Ramadan, which began yesterday.
Muslims throng mosques during Ramadan for special nighttime prayers after breaking their daily dawn-to-dusk fast.
The gatherings could trigger intense protests and activists say authorities are trying to prevent that.
It appeared the regime was making an example of Hama, a religiously conservative city of about 800 000 people located 130 miles north of the capital, Damascus.
A city with a history of defiance against 40 years of Assad family rule, Hama has largely fallen out of government control since June as residents turned on the regime and blockaded the streets against encroaching tanks. - Daily Mail