Syria: ground troops invade Homs, say activists

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian ground troops reportedly pushed into Homs today, in a long-suspected ground assault toward the rebel-controlled neighborhood of Baba Amr, opposition sources told Reuters.

The area has been under heavy artillery bombardment for 25 days; food, medicine, and other supplies are running low. Last night in the lead up to today's invasion, shelling was reportedly particularly intense.

The Associated Press quoted a Syrian official who confirmed the ground assault and said that the district of Baba Amr will be "cleaned" within hours. 

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The United Nations yesterday updated its death count for the first time since January, estimating that over 7,500 have been killed in nearly a year of violence stemming from protests against the rule of president Bashar al-Assad.

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Below is a video showing some of the destruction in various Homs neighborhoods.

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