Red Cross trying to broker ceasefire in Syria

The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday announced it is trying to broker a humanitarian ceasefire in Syria.

ICRC spokeswoman Carla Haddad said the group is “discussing several possibilities with all those concerned and it includes a cessation of fighting in the most affected areas”.

She said the Geneva-based aid group had been in talks with Syrian authorities and opposition groups for some time but attempts to negotiate a ceasefire were “an important new step”.

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More than 5,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the 11-month uprising against Syria’s President Bashar Assad.

Syria’s military yesterday sent tanks and other reinforcements towards the city of Homs in what appears to be preparations by Assad’s regime for an offensive aimed at retaking rebel-held neighbourhoods, activists said.

Syria-based activist Mustafa Osso said he does not think the regime will be able to retake Homs through military force as residents plan to fight until “the last person”. He added that Homs was facing “savage shelling that does not differentiate between military or civilian targets”.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads British-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said he expected the regime to try to retake the Baba Amr district of Homs.

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“The human loss is going to be huge if they retake Baba Amr,” Mr Abdul-Rahman said.

The Observatory said the latest shelling of Baba Amr killed five civilians. Amateur videos posted online showed what activists said were shells falling into Baba Amr.

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