Ramadan brings no respite to Syrians

An army assault on Homs in central Syria entered its 13th day as Ramadan brought no relief to people in areas liberated by fighters, activists said.
The Free Syrian Army described the siege imposed by Bashar Assad’s troops on opposition areas of Homs as “suffocating” and said it was trying to move in ammunition, humanitarian aid and food.
Districts in central Homs, dubbed “the capital of the revolution” by activists, have been under army siege for more than a year.
“There isn’t a minute that goes by that we do not hear the sound of a rocket or a shell hit the besieged neighborhoods, especially Khaldiyeh and Bab Hud,” said Homs-based activist Yazan.
Speaking to AFP via the Internet, Yazan said that “even before Ramadan, we were down to one meal a day.”
The Free Syrian Army said it had received a shipment of weapons and ammunition but did not reveal where they came from or where they were deployed.
We have “finally received shipments of ammunition, Kalashnikov machine guns and anti-tank missiles,” FSA political and media coordinator Louay Muqdad told AFP by phone.
But he said that “these arms are insufficient for all our battles.”
Despite earlier calls by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Syrian opposition for a Ramadan cease-fire, the conflict only looked set for further escalation.