President Barack Obama has described the Syrian army's mortar¹ and rocket attacks in the city of Homs, as "outrageous² bloodshed".

奥巴马总统形容叙利亚军队对霍姆斯城进行的火箭弹和迫击炮攻击为“粗暴的杀戮”。

One activist³ network said 110 people were killed in Homs on Thursday as the government continued a push aimed at crushing rebel forces.

Hundreds have been reported killed in the offensive over the past week.

Germany has meanwhile welcomed the possibility of the return of the Arab League mission to the country.

The international community is struggling to find a way to resolve the crisis after Russia and China blocked a UN resolution drafted by Arab and European countries on Saturday calling on President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton called on Russia to "recognise the reality of the situation on the ground".

Restarting the Arab League mission in partnership⁴ with the UN "would serve peace and balance," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said, according to AFP.

The mission "would be a clear signal by the international community to the Assad regime," as would the appointment of a UN special representative, he added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had earlier said that his counterpart at the Arab League Nabil El-Araby had proposed sending a mission to Syria with UN help.

Mr Ban condemned⁵ the "appalling⁶（可怕的） brutality⁷" of the military operation in Homs.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that efforts were continuing to put together a "friends of Syria" group of countries.

Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has been dispatched to Morocco, France and Bahrain to discuss the group's membership and its mandate⁸, AP reports.