Syrian troops kill 11 despite Arab League accord

Syrians in the restive region of Homs performed special prayers for a major Muslim holiday to the sound of explosions and gunfire as government troops pushed forward their assault on the area, killing at least 11 people Sunday, residents and activists said.The violence on the first day of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, added to fears that a peace plan brokered by the Arab League last week was unraveling and prompted Qatars prime minister to call for an emergency meeting Saturday to discuss the Syrian governments failure to abide by its commitments.Egypts official news agency MENA reported that Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani called for the meeting in light of the continuing acts of violence and the Syrian governments noncompliance with the terms of the Arab plan.Violence has continued unabated, though Damascus agreed to halt its crackdown on the 7-month-old uprising that the U.N. says has left some 3,000 people dead.Under the Arab League plan, Syrias government agreed to pull tanks and armored vehicles out of cities, release political prisoners and allow journalists and rights groups into the country.It is a very painful situation here in Homs, said a city resident reached by telephone and speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals. The holiday will come for us only when we are free from this regime.Activists said government forces on Sunday killed at least nine people in Homs, which has turned into one of the main centers of protest and reprisal during the revolt against President Bashar Assad.Bloodshed linked to the military crackdown on dissent and what appear to be sectarian revenge killings have engulfed Homs in recent weeks, killing scores of people in the countrys third-largest city.