As the Syrian revolt enters its 10th month, the pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has been increasing. Additionally, the death toll among civilians and members of the security and military forces is on the rise, with conflicting reports on the number of dead on Wednesday.

Activists reported that the government militia (”Chabihah”) stormed Hama to end the general strike, but encountered resistance from dissidents from the army. Activists said Syrian troops backed by tanks killed at least ten people when they stormed yesterday the city of Hama.

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Hundreds of army defectors in southern Syria have fought with tank-backed loyalist forces in one of the biggest armed confrontations in a nine-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, residents and activists said.

Troops, mainly from the 12th Armoured Brigade, based in Isra, 40km from the border with Jordan, stormed the nearby town of Busra al-Harir, the Reuters news agency reported.

The sound of explosions and heavy machine guns was heard in Busra al-Harir and in Lujah, an area of rocky hills north of the town, where defectors have been hiding and attacking military supply lines.

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Syrians on Friday took to the streets including in the “capital of revolt” Homs. At least 36 people were killed in clashes with security forces, most of them in Homs.

Opposition activists had called on citizens to take to the streets in support of a “dignity strike… which will lead to the sudden death of this tyrant regime.”

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At least 30 people have been killed in a series of bomb attacks in central Iraq targeting Shia pilgrims marking the festival of Ashura, officials say.

In the deadliest attack, a car packed with explosives blew up as a procession of pilgrims passed through the al-Nil area, north of the city of Hilla.

Local police said 16 people were killed, including women and children.

Later, two separate attacks against groups of pilgrims in the capital, Baghdad, left at least 11 people dead.

Police and hospital sources said eight people were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near a convoy of pilgrims in the northern district of Urr, while the other three were killed in Mashtal, in the city’s east.

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At least five civilians were killed in Thursday morning governmental attacks in Taiz province. All the casualties are civilians and medics in Taiz said that death toll is expected to rise.

Medics in Taiz Freedom Square told Yemen Post that four of the injured are in critical condition as he expected the casualty toll to increase.

The attacks were the first major shelling in Taiz since President Saleh signed a power transfer deal that grants him immunity in return for stepping down from power.

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