Syrian Forces Advance in Homs, Reports Say -- New York Times
BEIRUT, Lebanon — As President Bashar al-Assad of Syria sought to convey the impression of a leader in control after consecutive days of suspected insurgent bombings in his power base, Damascus, his forces were reported on Thursday to have launched a sustained push farther north to crush resistance in the city of Homs.
Fighting was also reported for the first time in months near the coastal city of Baniyas.
A day after Mr. Assad made a rare public appearance on Wednesday, visiting workers at an electric station, opposition activists said the government campaign seemed designed to eject rebel fighters from Homs, part of a series of fierce offensives to retake territory controlled by rebels in both Homs and Damascus, the capital.
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