Damascus: Syrian forces raked Latakia with heavy machinegun fire on Tuesday and pressed a crackdown in the port city that has already killed dozens and sent Palestinian refugees fleeing, activists said.

"The heavy machinegun fire and bullets were intense in areas of Latakia, Ramel, Masbah Al Shaab and Ain Tamra for more than three hours," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Since Sunday, 30 civilians have been killed in Latakia in an offensive that according to rights activists saw use of gunboats by Syrian security forces for the first time since the start of pro-democracy revolts in mid-March.

The Syrian official news agency SANA has denied any maritime operation.

Refugees flee under fire

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees reported that more than half of the 10,000 refugees of Ramel camp in southern Latakia had fled under fire.

The military assault on Latakia has drawn sharp Arab and international condemnation.

Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Yasser Abed Rabbo said it was "part of the crimes against humanity" targeting Palestinians and Syrians alike.

The Syrian daily Al Watan said Latakia was under army control. "The situation (in Latakia) is under control, especially after the army arrested dozens of armed men during a complicated operation," it said.

"Armed men had set up barricades for laying mines to prevent the army from advancing," which "has led to residents fleeing the neighbourhoods," the daily added.

Relentless gunfire

A resident of Latakia's Al Slaibeh suburb, Yamam Alsham, told AFP via the Internet that gunfire has been relentless.

"We have become used to sleeping and waking up to the sound of gunfire every day. The shooting usually comes from security forces based on rooftops of the surrounding schools," she said.

No electricity or phone landlines

Another resident, who gave his name only as Tariq, said the security forces had cut off electricity and severed landline connections.

"They also opened fire on the funeral of Mohammed Shraiqy and killed his brother Ahmad," he said, adding security forces had fired warning shots at worshippers leaving a mosque and carried out arrests.

The fleeing Palestinian refugees, he said, had gathered at a sports complex in the town.

As he spoke, several explosions rocked the neighbourhood and the sound of heavy gunfire rang out. "They're firing ... bombs. It's raining bullets outside," he said.

Searching homes

An activist in the central city of Homs, meanwhile, said security forces opened fire on Tuesday in the suburbs of Bab Sibaa and Bayada, where they were also searching homes.

He said the death toll from military operations in Homs and nearby Hula town had mounted to 12 since Monday.

Syria has repeatedly said it is battling "armed gangs" - a claim denied by rights groups who say the crackdown has killed 1,827 civilians since mid-March, while 416 security forces have also died.

The first two weeks of August, since the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, 260 people, including 14 women and 31 children have been counted dead by coordinating committees of demonstrators.

Lost his legitimacy

US President Barack Obama said Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has lost his legitimacy and his people "will be better off without him," the White House spokesman said.

Assad "has to cease the systematic violence, mass arrests, and the outright murder of his own people," Jay Carney told reporters.

"The Syrian people deserve a peaceful transition to democracy; they deserve a government that doesn't torture them, arrest them and kill them."

The State Department, however, said it was unable to confirm the reports of the Syrian navy opening fire on Latakia with heavy machineguns.

Firing on innocents

"However, we are able to confirm that there is armour in the city and that there is firing on innocents again, in the pattern of carnage that you have seen in other places," she said.

Jordan, adding its voice to a chorus of Arab condemnation of the Syrian crackdown on dissent, urged Damascus to "immediately" stop the violence and "listen to reason," state-run Petra news agency reported.

Syria's neighbours Jordan and Turkey called for an immediate end to the violence.
However, its ally Iran saw no justification for any Western intervention in the "internal affair" of Syria, warning any such action would stoke "public hatred" in the region.