Syrian forces have killed over 200 people in the last two days ahead of the start of a mission to monitor president Bashar al-Assad's implementation of an Arab League peace plan, activists said today.
France branded the killings an "unprecedented massacre"
Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 111 civilians and activists were killed in addition to over 100 casualties among army deserters in Idlib province, turning yesterday into the "bloodiest day of the Syrian revolution".
"There was a massacre of an unprecedented scale in Syria on Tuesday," said French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero. "It is urgent that the UN Security Council issues a firm resolution that calls for an end to the repression."
The main opposition Syrian National Council demanded international action to protect civilians.
The escalating death toll in nine months of popular unrest has raised the spectre of civil war in Syria with Dr Assad (46) still trying to stamp out protests with troops and tanks despite international sanctions imposed to push him onto a reform path.
Idlib, a northwestern province bordering Turkey, has been a hotbed of protest during the revolt, inspired by uprisings across the Arab world this year, and has also seen escalating attacks by armed insurgents against his forces.
The Observatory said rebels had damaged or destroyed 17 military vehicles in Idlib since Sunday and killed 14 members of the security forces uesterday in an ambush in the southern province of Deraa, where anti-Assad protests began in March.
Events in Syria are hard to verify because authorities have banned most independent reporting.
The main opposition Syrian National Council said 250 people had been killed on Monday and Tuesday in "bloody massacres", and that the Arab League and United Nations must protect civilians.
It demanded "an emergency UN Security Council session to discuss the (Assad) regime's massacres in Jabal al-Zawiyah, Idlib and Homs, in particular" and called for "safe zones" to be set up under international protection.
It also said those regions should be declared disaster areas and urged the International Red Crescent and other relief organisations to provide humanitarian aid.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said yesterday that an advance observer team would go to Syria tomorrow to prepare the way for 150 monitors due to arrive by end-December.
Syria stalled for weeks before signing a protocol on Monday to admit the monitors, who will check its compliance with the plan mandating an end to violence, withdrawal of troops from the streets, release of prisoners and dialogue with the opposition.
"In a week's time, from the start of the operation, we will know (if Syria is complying)," Mr Elaraby said.
Syrian pro-democracy activists are deeply sceptical about Dr Assad's commitment to the plan, which, if implemented, could embolden demonstrators demanding an end to his 11-year rule, which followed three decades of domination by his father.
Dr Assad is from Syria's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam, and Alawites hold many senior posts in the army which he has deployed to crush the mainly Sunni Muslim protests.
In recent months, peaceful protests have increasingly given way to armed confrontations, often led by army deserters.
Some opposition leaders have called for foreign military intervention to protect civilians from Assad's forces.
Meanwhile, Iran's English-language Press TV reported that five Iranian technicians working in Syria have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the city of Homs today.
It did not give a source for the information nor say when the kidnapping took place.
"Eight technicians, including five Iranians, have been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the restive Syrian city of Homs," Press TV said.
Syria's state news agency SANA reported that eight engineers "of different nationalities" disappeared after heading by bus to their work at a power plant in Homs province.
Iran, Syria's closest regional ally, has welcomed Syria's agreement this week to admit Arab League monitors to oversee its implementation of a plan aimed at ending unrest in Syria.