Destruction in Bab Dreeb area in Homs, Syria. Photo: wiki commons.

VOA – Syria says it is ready to act on a U.N. appeal to evacuate civilians from the rebellious central city of Homs, which government forces have bombarded since early June to try to crush a 15-month anti-government uprising.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it has contacted U.N. observers in the country and local authorities to try to arrange an evacuation from Homs, where opposition activists estimate 1,000 families have been trapped. But, the government said the observers’ efforts failed due to obstruction from armed terrorist groups – its term for rebels leading the revolt. The Syrian statement also accused rebels of using Homs civilians as “human shields.”

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