Syria ignores ceasefire pledge

Syria reportedly defied its pledge to suspend anti-rebel attacks under a United Nations ceasefire plan with fresh operations on Wednesday, resulting in 18 deaths.

"From the Turkish border in the northeast to Daraa in the South, military operations are ongoing," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Tanks are still shelling or storming towns and villages before going back to their bases," he added. "That does not mean they are withdrawing."

The bloodshed continued despite Assad's pledge on Monday to implement a peace plan proposed by UN-Arab League Envoy Kofi Annan. Assad had pledged to enforce a six-point peace plan by April 10 with an immediate pulling out of troops from protest cities by April 10.

US officials have also questioned Assad's intentions. "The assertion to Kofi Annan was that Assad would start implementing his commitments immediately to withdraw from cities. I want to advise that we have seen no evidence today that he is implementing any of those commitments," US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

Seven were killed in the central city of Homs, including four rebels and three civilians, the Observatory said.

Wednesday's clashes come just a day after fierce fighting in towns and villages claimed 80 lives.

Any hope for rebels?

Meanwhile, Russia's top diplomat has said the rebels could never defeat President Bashar al-Assad's army, even if they were better armed.

"It is clear as day that even if the Syrian opposition is armed to the teeth, it will not be able to defeat the government's army," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "Instead, there will be carnage that lasts many, many years - mutual destruction."

Lavrov said that two groups of Syrian opposition representatives will be visiting Moscow in the coming days and that Russia will be using the meetings to convince them that it wants to help resolve the year-long crisis.

World concern grows

As world leaders begin to question Assad's resolve in upholding the ceasefire, a draft UN Security Council statement has reportedly been drawn up asking Syria to respect the April 10 deadline.

The draft urges the Syrian opposition to cease hostilities within 48 hours after Assad's regime makes good on its pledges.

It calls on all parties to respect a two-hour daily humanitarian pause, as called for in Annan's plan.

Negotiations between France, Britain and the United States over the text began on Tuesday, and it was hoped it would be adopted by late Wednesday or Thursday.

Russia, Assad's ally in the Council, has rejected the idea of a deadline, with Lavrov saying "ultimatums and artificial deadlines rarely help matters."

Another worrying development on Wednesday was the burning of Syria's Red Crescent distribution centre in in the city of Homs. The building burned to the ground and what caused the fire remains unclear.

tm/pfd (Reuters, AFP)