Syrian government forces have sent reinforcements to central Homs and could gain complete control of the besieged city, a major opposition group warned Sunday, dpa reported.
"The criminal regime has dispatched extra troops to tighten the inhuman siege of the city," the Syrian National Council said in a brief statement.
"Homs' fall will mark a serious turning point in the course of events, subjecting the present and future of Syria as well as the region to great perils."
Opposition rebel forces and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been fighting in and around Homs for about four months.
The city has been a focal point in the uprising against al-Assad that began in March last year.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government troops stepped up their shelling of Homs on Sunday and clashes between troops and rebels taking place inside the city claimed casualties on both sides.
News from Syria cannot be independently verified, as most foreign media are barred from the conflict-torn country.