Amman, Jordan - Syrian security forces killed at least 25 people on Monday in a thrust into the city of Homs intended to stem growing armed resistance to President Bashar al-Assad’s government, residents said.
The clashes followed the deployment of loyalist militiamen in Sunni Muslim districts, fanning tension between the city’s Sunni majority and members of Mr. Assad’s minority Alawite sect, residents said by telephone.
Tanks firing heavy machine guns swept into three Sunni districts in Homs, which is 90 miles north of Damascus, the capital. Residents said that army deserters were helping people defend their neighborhoods.