At least 337 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday. Over 1300 were wounded. Homs attack is the deadliest so far in the Syrian regime's crackdown on protests which erupted 11 months ago. Locals said Syrian forces started shelling the Khalidiya neighbourhood at around 8 p.m. on Friday using artillery and mortars. They said at least 36 houses were completely destroyed with families inside.
As news spread, Syrians stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo in protest, and rallies broke out outside Syrian missions in Britain, Germany and the United States. Some opposition activists said the violence was triggered by a wave of army defections in Homs. According to Reuters, the opposition Syrian National Council that it believed Assad's forces were preparing for similar attacks around Damascus and in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.