Syrian violence escalates as troops press on with crackdown

Online witness reports of gunfire and houses set alight are surfacing already, as troops moved into the city after a 24-hour bombardment.

The government claims that it is trying to restore order after it also claimed 120 security personnel had been killed – an allegation residents are disputing.

They maintain the dead were killed after a mutiny and fighting between the security forces.

"Tanks came from the south after shelling randomly and sending volleys of machinegun fire all over the town," one resident told Reuters news agency. There are reports that the troops are part of an elite unit commanded by President Bashar al-Assad's younger brother Maher.

Syria has prevented most foreign journalists, including those from the BBC, from entering the country, making it difficult to independently verify reports from there.

State media said two command groups of armed organisations had been detained, and others killed or wounded.

One account said some of those who tried to flee towards Turkey were intercepted, while others were shot and killed.

On Saturday witnesses described homes being bulldozed in nearby villages and crops and fields burnt and uprooted.

Violence has also been reported in the nearby town of Maarat al-Numan, with armed men attacking the courthouse, police station and strategic fuel depot.

Meanwhile there are continuing but unverifiable reports of army defections, with the latest saying that an officer and 50 men had changed sides rather than fire on civilians in Jisr al-Shughour.

The government’s military advance sent more people fleeing towards the Turkish border, to join more than 4,000 who have already crossed.

US officials say Syria's crackdown has created a humanitarian crisis, and called for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to be given access to the north.

There is a need for food, tents, blankets and mattresses, but medical supplies are in particularly in demand to cope with large numbers of wounded.