Fresh bloodshed in Syria: reports

Violence erupted in Syria on Saturday, with a fresh round of explosions, shelling and heavy machine gun fire, leaving at least 13 people dead, activists told CNN.

Despite efforts from the Arab League to put a new initiative in place, which would pull forces off the streets and begin a dialogue with the opposition, bloodshed continued in Homs, the BBC reported. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least three people were killed from machine gun fire from tanks in Baba Amr, where most of the killings have taken place this past week, BBC reported.

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Altogether 13 civilians were killed and dozens were wounded from tank fire on Saturday, Reuters reported. These deaths come on the eve of the Muslim feast Eid al-Adha. Since Tuesday, at least 89 people have been killed in Homs by troops taking on protestors against President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.

As this occurs, it casts doubt on whether the Arab League’s solution can actually work to save Syria and put an end to the many civilian deaths. The Arab League is still meeting in Cairo in hopes of putting its new plan into place, agreeing with Arab states this week to protect the Syrian people.

"The failure of the Arab solution would lead to catastrophic results for the situation in Syria and the region as a whole," Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Read more at GlobalPost: Syria: Homs under siege

On Friday, the same day the Arab League released its peace plan, 15 civilians were reported dead after Assad’s regime opened fire on thousands of protesters, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Not only would the Arab League’s plan put an end to the violence, Syria’s government also agreed to release political prisoners and allow journalists and rights groups into the country, the Associated Press reported.

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