Syrian troops have almost retaken the Baba Amr neighborhood in Homs, a stronghold of anti-government forces, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
The area has been blockaded for the last 26 days. Last week, French journalist Remy Ochlik and American Marie Colvin were killed in the shelling of Homs. Activists said hundreds of people have been killed in the area since the beginning of the assault on Homs.
Al Jazeera’s Rula Amin reported that sources close to the government said the army had almost cleared Baba Amr of fighters, but opposition activists disputed the claim.
Other media reports, citing unnamed sources, said that Syrian troops have already advanced into the area.
Both Western and Arab nations increased their pressure on Assad’s regime, calling for an immediate end to bloodshed in Syria, which according to Syrian rights groups has claimed more than 7,000 lives since the uprising against the current authorities began 11 months ago.
