Syria vows to 'cleanse' opposition stronghold

In its continued efforts to crush its opponents, the Syrian regime vowed to "cleanse" a rebel-held district in the besieged central city of Homs after nearly four weeks of shelling.

Government troops massed outside the embattled neighbourhood of Baba Amr in Homs raising fears among activists of an imminent ground invasion that could endanger thousands of residents, as well as two trapped Western journalists, who have been under heavy bombardment.

Sources on both sides say government troops tried to advance on several fronts after weeks of heavy shelling.

The fate of the foreign journalists has drawn attention to Homs, which has emerged as a key battleground between government forces and those seeking to end the regime of authoritarian President Bashar Assad.

The government's increasingly bloody attempts to put down the 11-month uprising have fuelled mounting international criticism.

One of the two Western journalists still trapped in Homs is refusing to leave without injured Syrian civilians, say the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), a network of activists.

Edith Bouvier, who was seriously wounded last week in the bombardment of a makeshift media centre, is asking the French ambassador to come personally and to do whatever he can, the LCC say.

Earlier, the French government said it stood ready to evacuate Bouvier and photojournalist William Daniels, who were on assignment for Le Figaro.

A Spanish journalist trapped with them, Javier Espinosa, has now escaped to Lebanon.

All three of them, and wounded British photojournalist Paul Conroy, were in a convoy to smuggle them out of Syria when it came under fire from Syrian forces.

Syrian officials said their forces were "mopping up" while activists said the attack had been repelled.

Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos says she has been denied entry into Syria.

In a statement, Amos said the refusal came "despite my repeated requests to meet Syrian officials at the highest level to discuss the humanitarian situation and the need for unhindered access to the people affected by the violence".

She had been waiting in neighbouring Lebanon for the Syrian government's response to her application, UN diplomats said.