Mood of ‘Despair’ as Syria Bombards City of Homs for 5th Day
Syrian government forces have deployed tanks in the streets and are bombing indiscriminately in the city of Homs, according to a BBC correspondent on the scene.
The BBC’s Paul Wood, who is reporting from the outskirts of Homs with anti-government forces, described the mood as one of “despair” as the city comes under the heaviest bombardment so far in a five-day assault.
Activists claim hundreds have been killed in the violence, from 40 to 100 on Wednesday alone, though their reports have not been independently verified.
Wood is one of the few Western news reporters inside Syria, where the government tightly controls access to news. He said many people in the city are hiding in their homes, too afraid to leave.
The aid group Doctors Without Borders quoted Syrians as saying that many wounded civilians are unable to get adequate medical treatment — in part because security forces have taken over many public hospitals, The Associated Press reported.
The aid group released a video in Paris on Wednesday showing interviews with 10 wounded Syrians and 5 Syrian doctors who have fled the nation.