video transcript

PLEASE NOTE THE MATERIAL IN THIS EDIT WAS OBTAINED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES AND CANNOT BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY REUTERS. Chaos in the aftermath of an attack in the Syrian province of Homs. The footage, which cannot be independently verified by Reuters, is said to show people surrounding the body of a civilian in the town of al Houla on Tuesday (January 15). Amid the panic, an explosion close by. In a second video from the same area, an attempt to comfort the young victims of Syria's war. State media says the Syrian military has stepped up attacks against rebel positions in the cities of Homs, Idlib and Hama. On Wednesday (January 16) in another area of Homs, the aftermath of an apparent airstrike in the streets of Rastan. Opposition fighters say government shelling has devastated areas of the country in a war with no end in sight. Rebels are still fighting to uproot President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are heavily equipped with warplanes and ballistic missiles. The U.N. says the conflict has so far claimed more than 60,000 lives.