11 people killed in fresh attack on a bus in central Syria

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and another three were badly wounded Sunday when armed groups attacked their bus in Syria's central province of Homs, the private Sham FM radio reported.

The bus was transporting 14 passengers, including military personnel, when it came under fire, the report said, adding that three passengers managed to escape the gunfire and hide in a nearby storage, but were badly wounded.

The attack occurred at al-Fakhoura roundabout in Homs, when the bus was starting its trip to Damascus.

There has been no immediate official comment on the circumstances of the incident.

Homs, Syria's third largest city with a population of about 800, 000 people, has witnessed severe clashes between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and armed groups allegedly consisting of army defectors, raising fears that the region is sliding toward a civil war.

The attack came just one day after a deadly attack that claimed the lives of at least 14 people when unidentified gunmen targeted a vehicle transporting prisoners in northwest Syria.

The Syrian government has blamed the incident as well as many others on terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs.

Damascus said some 2,000 army and security personnel have been killed since the unrest began in March 2011, while the UN has reported more than 5,000 deaths from the Syrian violence.

Posted in: Arab League, Bashar al-Assad, Damascus, Homs, Syria, Syrian government, United Nations