Syrian forces overrun Baba Amr as rebels retreat

Syrian forces overran the Baba Amr district of Homs following a rebel retreat, with relief agencies hoping to gain access to the bombarded city on Friday to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded.

As rebel fighters pulled back yesterday, the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) warned of a "massacre" in Baba Amr.

The UN Security Council called on Syria to allow immediate humanitarian access to protest cities in a statement supported by Russia and China, who had vetoed two resolutions on the conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she had seen press reports that the Syrian government was promising to allow aid into Baba Amr.

"So if in fact it's true, it would be a good step forward, but we, you know, we are obviously skeptical of Syrian government promises," Nuland said in Washington.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were preparing to urgently reach the conflict zone, an ICRC spokesman said.

"The ICRC and the SARC will go on Friday to Baba Amr to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded," Damascus spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh told AFP.

The rebels said they had pulled out "tactically" from Baba Amr yesterday, the second day of an all-out ground assault by the feared Fourth Armoured Division led by President Bashar al-Assad's younger brother Maher.