Syria blames rebels for blast that killed 16
There are differing accounts today of explosions that killed at least 16 people that flattened parts of a residential area in the central Syrian city of Hama.
Syrian state media blame anti-regime bomb-makers mishandling explosives. Syrian activists say it was intense shelling by the regime.
It was impossible to independently verify the conflicting accounts because President Bashar Assad's regime, facing a 13-month-old uprising, has restricted access for journalists and other outside witnesses.
As the violence in Syria continues despite U.N.-led efforts to implement a cease-fire, the international community is becoming increasingly impatient with the Assad regime. On Wednesday, France raised the prospect of military intervention in Syria, saying the U.N. should consider harsher measures if a peace plan by special envoy Kofi Annan fails.
A prominent activist urged U.N. observers to investigate the blast.
AP
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