A man walks next to a wall damaged during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and President Assad's forces in Sarmin, north of Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. According to residents of the city, at least fourteen people were killed yesterday during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the government forces. (AP Photo)"Well over 7,500" people have been killed Syria since protests against Assad's regime erupted in March last year.
(AFP) Syrian ground forces were mopping up the last pockets of resistance of Homs on Wednesday, a security source said, even as Washington worked on a UN Security Council draft demanding humanitarian access.
A human rights watchdog and an activist in the central city denied that troops had moved into the rebel neighbourhood of Baba Amr, pounded by regime shelling for 26 straight days, insisting that clashes were continuing on the outskirts.
"The area is under control," the security source told AFP in Damascus, requesting anonymity.
"The army has started combing the area building by building and house by house. Now the troops are searching every basement and tunnel for arms and terrorists.
"There remain only few pockets" of resistance, the source added.
But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that rebel forces were "preventing an attempt to storm" the neighbourhood.
The Britain-based watchdog said gunfire could be heard in several districts of the city.
Homs-based activist Hadi Abdullah reported clashes and heavy shelling of Baba Amr but insisted that ground troops had not entered the neighbourhood.
"Regime forces did not enter Baba Amr until this moment. They are surrounding the district, while clashes are concentrated in the neighbourhoods of Inshaat and Malaab," he told AFP.
Abdullah said activists were "evacuating families because shelling has been targeting places that were considered safe in the past."
Earlier on Wednesday, activists on the ground in Syria's third-largest city said that elite troops of the Fourth Armoured Division under the command of Assad's brother Maher had taken up position with their armour around Baba Amr.
Abdullah told AFP by telephone that it was a likely prelude to a final assault.
Access to Homs has now been completely sealed off, according to rebel commanders, who said the regular army had also blown up an underground aqueduct that had been the last viable route for smuggling in desperately needed supplies.
Abdullah said power had been cut to most of the city, a measure he said was another sign of possible looming attack.
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