Assad Regime Denies Army Bombarded Homs

Syria's government denied on Saturday that its army bombarded the central city of Homs, instead blaming the bloodshed on "armed gunmen," state media reported.

The government "denies shelling by the army in certain districts of Homs, as peddled by television stations that are inciting" violence," the official SANA news agency said, after rights groups reported that at least 260 civilians were killed in the assault on the protest hub.

"The civilians shown by satellite television stations are citizens who were kidnapped and killed by armed gunmen," said the agency.

SANA accused the gunmen of "wanting to use that information to (pressure) the (U.N.) Security Council" which is due to vote Saturday on an Arab-proposed resolution calling on President Bashar Assad allow a democratic transition.

The claim came the same day the Syrian National Council said the army randomly bombarded Homs, killing at least 260 civilians in one of the "most horrific massacres" in the country's uprising.