Syria firing continues mortar attacks on people of Homs

Guardian:

Syrian forces persisted with one of the deadliest attacks of the 11-month uprising on Sunday, pounding parts of Homs even as residents combed through rubble looking for victims of a sustained barrage over the weekend that killed dozens, if not scores of people.

Homs residents said the flashpoint area of Bab al-Amr was under sustained attack throughout the afternoon, with up to six people killed. There was also a renewed bombardment of the nearby neighbourhood of Khalidiyeh, centre on Friday night of one of the most violent assaults thus far by Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Residents were still trying to come to terms with the savage firepower aimed at their district during a six-hour barrage early on Saturday.

"We counted 300 explosions, at least, in that time," said a Bab al-Amr resident, who calls himself Omar Shakir. "There was nothing we could do for the people there, there are two regime checkpoints between us and them. And today it was our turn."

Mortars fired from an elevated area around a mile and a half away accounted for almost all of Friday nights casualties. The numbers of dead are disputed. A hospital in Homs and two Syrian opposition groups say 250-300 may have died. A third group, the Local Co-ordination Council said the toll may be 50-60. Either way, with many civilians caught up in the onslaught, including women and children, it was an offensive that marked a grim low point in the confrontation between Assad's forces and the protesters and armed deserters now ranged against him.

Residents said a new weapon was being used – possibly artillery shells, which have a distinctive whine as they approach their target. "They are very unusual sounds, the explosions," said Shakir.

"We have not heard them before in Bab al-Amr. And we have heard a lot of explosions here."

A Khalidiyeh resident, Fadi, said local people had been able to leave their homes to bury the dead and look for survivors.

"There was random shooting into civilian areas. It was indiscriminate and it went on for six hours. The smell in the streets is completely awful," he said. "The blood is everywhere and it is difficult to find all the parts of the people."

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I guess the Russians and Chinese are resisting war crime charges against the Damascus entity.  They are becoming complicit in the murder of civilians.