Syrian army pounds Aleppo province

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces bombarded a string of towns in Aleppo province on Saturday, a day after global powers gathered in yet another effort to chart a political end to the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

"Regime forces are attempting to regain control over this region, where they suffered heavy casualties over the past months to rebels," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the bombardment killed one civilian and wounded dozens in the town of Qabtan al-Jabal.

"A large number of families have been displaced from the area for fear of shelling and lack of water, electricity and medical services," the watchdog added of the attacks in the northern province.

Shelling also continued in the central city of Homs, under bombardment by the army for more than a month.

The Syrian General Revolutionary Authority reported that shelling intensified through the night in the neighbourhoods of Old Homs and Hamidiyeh, where "many people were buried under the rubble" of a collapsed building.

The Observatory said 93 people, mostly civilians, were killed across Syria on Friday as protesters took to the streets in several provinces after being urged to call for a "People's liberation war."

On Friday, some 100 nations and organisations meeting in Paris called on the UN Security Council to adopt a transition plan for Syria backed by economic sanctions if the regime refuses to comply.