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Over 100 Dead in Syria Clashes
(Daily Star-Lebanon) Lauren Williams - Activists said up to 106 people were killed across Syria Tuesday as security forces continued an onslaught on Homs. The Local Coordination Committees told the Daily Star that 101 civilians, including 10 children, and five defected soldiers had been killed. They said 35 people had been confirmed killed in Homs alone. Human Rights Watch said it had confirmed the use of Russian-made 240-mm mortars in Homs. "It is by far the most powerful mortar in modern use - most other countries stop at 160-mm mortars," HRW emergency director Peter Bouckaert told AFP. "We have little doubt that those extremely powerful mortars are being fired by the regime forces into civilian neighborhoods of Homs. We are talking about a 250-pound mortar round that can only be fired from a heavy specialized armored vehicle and it requires a nine-person crew to operate," he added.