Dozens of Syrian tanks and troop transporters have been sent to the city of Homs as the government continues to arrest hundreds of opposition activists, witnesses say. Amateur footage on the internet showed at least 60 pieces of heavy artillery being moved towards the central city, which has been a hotbed of the protests against the 41-year rule of President Bashar al Assad's Baath party.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested this week in the regime's crackdown on the opposition protests, which first erupted in the southern city of Deraa.
Deraa itself has been effectively under siege for 10 days - with electricity and telephones services cut off and snipers deployed on the rooftops.
A military spokesman said on state television on Wednesday that the army was "on the verge of completing its mission" there.
The uprising was sparked by the arrest of teenagers who scrawled anti-regime graffiti on a wall in the city close to the border with Jordan. Protests spread quickly across the nation.
The protesters remain defiant, releasing a statement saying: "We must continue our peaceful revolution throughout Syria until we achieve the freedom we demand.
"The crowds are only growing in size and momentum. The government's fierce campaign of arbitrary mass arrests will not succeed where their bullets have failed," the coalition of local communities organising the protests said.
On Wednesday around 150 students gathered outside Damascus University shouting: "With our soul and blood we defend Deraa; lift the siege in Deraa".
Security forces attacked the demonstrators with batons to disperse them and detained at least two students. Read More
