Activists said 12 civilians were killed Saturday by the security forces in the flashpoint regions of Homs, Deraa and Idlib, a day after 41 people died across the country.
Arab League foreign ministers will meet in Cairo at the end of the coming week to discuss a response to Syria's conditional acceptance of an Arab peace plan, Egypt's MENA news agency quoted the League chief as saying. The Arab League has repeatedly extended deadlines for Syria to agree to a plan that would see Arab monitors oversee its withdrawal of troops from towns. The latest expired on Dec. 4.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem wrote to the League saying Damascus was prepared to sign an agreement that would allow League monitors into Syria, but only if certain conditions were met. MENA quoted Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby as saying the foreign ministers would have to agree before responding to Mouallem's letter.
France called on world powers to "save the Syrian people" as it joined the United States and Britain in raising an alarm that Assad's forces may be about to storm Homs.
In Damascus, the government denied any crackdown, while accusing its opponents of taking up arms.
In Homs, a pro-democracy activist said there was no clear sign of a troop build-up other campaigners had reported around the city on Friday. Opposition groups have called for businesses and labor not to work on Sunday, the first day of the working week in Syria, in what they have called a "Strike for Dignity."
"France is extremely concerned about information of a massive military operation being prepared by Syrian security authorities against the city of Homs," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, echoing concerns raised in Washington, London and neighboring Turkey.
