5 Shot Dead as U.N. Team Visits Syria's Homs

Syrian security forces and pro-regime militiamen on Monday killed five people, including three shot dead by security forces who opened fire on protesters at a rally in Homs as a U.N. fact-finding team visited the central Syrian city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which reported the killings said several people were also wounded in Homs.

The crowds took to the streets when they heard the U.N. mission was in town, Observatory chief Rami Abdul Rahman told Agence France Presse by telephone, apparently to make their voices heard.

"Three people were killed and several wounded when some shabbiha (pro-regime militiamen) and members of the security forces opened fire," he said. Before dawn on Monday, two other people were killed in Hama, also central Syria.

The mission, which arrived Saturday for a five-day visit, began its work the next day in Damascus to assess humanitarian needs, officials said, and while the team was in the suburb of Douma protesters rallied against Assad.