Syrian forces moved into several districts of the flashpoint city of Homs Saturday, in their drive to crush a nearly year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. At least 10 people were killed.
In Damascus and in the southern city of Douma, overnight clashes between the Free Syrian Army and government troops killed at least three people.
Government troops also entered parts of the mountain town of Zabadani.
A declassified satellite image of the Syrian regime's artillery attack on the residential neighborhood of Bab Amr in Homs, February 6, 2012.
In the northern Lebanese town of Tripoli Saturday, at least two people were killed and several others wounded in fighting between supporters and opponents of the Syrian president.
In Damascus, a high ranking Syrian military officer, Brigadier-General Issa al-Khouli, was killed by gunmen near his home. Al-Khouli was a doctor and head of a Damascus military hospital. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Arab foreign minister are to meet in Cairo Sunday to discuss the idea of a joint Arab-U.N. monitoring mission for Syria.
Syria, meanwhile, gave Tunisian and Libyan diplomats 72 hours to close their embassies in Damascus and leave the country. The move was in retaliation to their expulsion of Syrian ambassadors earlier this month.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.