Hama resident Osamah: "They're shooting anything that moves"
Government tanks in Syria have reportedly advanced deep into the besieged central city of Hama to put down opposition protests.
Residents who spoke to Reuters said tanks had reached Orontes Square in the city centre, focus of mass rallies against President Bashar al-Assad.
The reported advance followed a new bombardment of the city of 800,000.
The UN Security Council is split over how to respond to the bloodshed, which the UN secretary general has condemned.
Human rights groups say at least 140 people have been killed in the Syrian unrest since Sunday, mainly in Hama, adding to a civilian death toll believed to be more than 1,600 since March.
Protesters were inspired by the successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Mr Assad has promised reforms, but blames the violence on "armed criminal gangs" backed by unspecified foreign powers.
Access to events in Syria has been severely restricted for international journalists and it is rarely possible to verify accounts by witnesses and opposition activists.
'Finishing us off'
The Reuters news agency quoted residents of Hama as saying tanks had re-entered the city on Wednesday morning, reaching Orontes Square.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14385981
Note: Update Record, 3 August 2011 Last updated at 12:01 GMT