Shelling in Syria's Hama city kills 19

At least 19 people were killed in shelling of the Arbaeen district in the Syrian city of Hama on Monday, activists said.

On another note, the deployment of U.N. truce monitors has brought a lull in shelling of the Syrian opposition stronghold of Homs for a second day while President Bashar Assad's troops kept up heavy attacks on other areas where observers were not present.     

Also on Sunday, international envoy Kofi Annan expressed hope that despite continued violations of the cease-fire he brokered, an expanded team of up to 300 observers  up from eight now on the ground  can help end 13 months of violence and lead to talks between Assad and the opposition.     

Assad has used heavy weapons to try to crush the uprising against him, prompting some of his opponents to switch from peaceful protests to attacks on soldiers. The violence has left more than 9,000 people dead, according to the U.N. At least 12 civilians and five soldiers were killed Sunday, activists and state media said.    

The U.N. Security Council approved on Saturday a larger observer mission than the 250 initially envisioned. The mission was set for at least 90 days, but the Council left it up to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to decide when it will be safe enough to deploy it.    

It will be the first time the U.N. has sent an unarmed mission into a conflict zone, and Western diplomats warned the team will likely fail unless the Assad regime complies with the cease-fire.    


AP/LBCI/Reuters