Syrian Troops Attack Homs As Russia Backs Away From Assad

Syrian rebel fighters retreated from the city of Homs as government troops overran the center of anti-regime resistance after almost a month of artillery bombardment, according to reports by the Washington Post.

The Syrian military offensive came as the International Committee of the Red Cross announced that Syria had given it permission to enter Homs, under its 27th day of bombardment, to deliver supplies and evacuate the wounded. Troops were moving through the city’s Bab Amr neighborhood detaining all males older than 15, according to opposition activists cited by the Post.