Syrian troops shelled rebel outposts in the north and refugee areas near the border with Turkey, opposition activists said Wednesday, as the fractured ceasefire neared the one-week mark dpa reported
"Syrian army tanks shelled outposts belonging to the (rebel) Syrian Free Army in the northern province of Idlib, killing at least two defectors," Firas Idlibi, an anti-government activist in the area, told dpa.
Security forces stormed the neighbourhood of Khalidiyeh in the central province of Homs, wounding at least 22 people, according to the opposition.
Activists on the outskirts of the capital Damascus told dpa that security forces fired at protesters who were calling for the release of detainees. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An estimated 50,000 people have been detained since the start of the pro-democracy uprising in March 2011, says the opposition. But the claim cannot be independently verified.
According to the United Nations, about 9,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
In Beijing, the foreign ministers of Syria and China were meeting to discuss the latest situation in Syria, a day after 77 people were killed in renewed violence.
The Syrian regime is yet to sign a protocol agreement to enable 25 UN observers to monitor the ceasefire.
UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan is scheduled to report to the UN Security Council Thursday on the progress of the observers' mission.