Syrian troops kill three gunmen in rebellious Homs

Syrian troops killed Thursday three gunmen, who attacked a military checkpoint in the central province of Homs, the private Sham FM reported. A number of gunmen attacked a military checkpoint in Homs but the government forces fired back at them, killing three people, said the report. In another incident in Homs, the report said unidentified armed group fire rocket-propelled grenade at a traffic police station Thursday, causing no injuries. In earlier reports Thursday, the state-run SANA news agency said that 60 terrorists and arms smugglers were arrested, adding that specialized forces seized two cars loaded with weapons smuggled from Lebanon to Syria. SANA said Syrian authorities had arrested in Homs Adnan Buteh and Yaseen Qaddour, the leaders of the so-called "Abu Cham" group believed to be responsible for kidnapping, killing and torturing citizens in the area. These developments came a day after some media reports carried by the Doha-based al-Jazeera TV claimed that fights between army troops and defectors left 18 people killed in Homs on Wednesday. The reports couldn't be verified as journalists are banned of independently heading to restive areas. Homs, Syria's third largest city, is witnessing intense clashes between the army and "armed terrorists groups," according to the official version. The city has emerged as a hub of anti-government protests over seven-months-old unrest. The U.N. says more than 3,000 people have been killed in the government alleged crackdown on the protest movement. The Syrian government has staunchly defended its crackdown in the face of increasing international pressure to end the bloodshed, claiming it's hunting down armed groups that carry out foreign conspiracy in the country.