Syria draft resolution reaches UN General Assembly.

BBC - The United Nations General Assembly is becoming the focus of attempts to apply pressure on the Syrian government over its continued crackdown on dissent.

Saudi Arabia is circulating a draft resolution calling for an end to violence by all sides and for President Bashar al-Assad to step aside.

It is similar to one which Russia and China vetoed in the Security Council, triggering anger among Western powers.

But it adds a new element - a request that a UN special envoy is appointed.

The General Assembly is scheduled to discuss Syria on Monday, when it will be addressed by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, but no vote on the resolution is expected by then.

There is no power of veto at the General Assembly but its resolutions have no legal force, unlike those of the Security council.

The draft resolution circulated by Saudi Arabia "fully supports" the Arab League peace plan published last month, which called on Mr Assad to hand over power to his vice-president, and make way for the rapid formation of a national unity government including the opposition.

The Syrian government blames "armed gangs and terrorists" for the violence

While calling for an end to the violence by all sides, it lays blame primarily on the Syrian authorities, which are strongly condemned for "continued widespread and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms".

The draft urges accountability for those guilty of human rights violations, but does not specifically mention the International Criminal Court.

There is also a request for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a special envoy to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis - a proposal that Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi made earlier this week.

The diplomatic move came as tanks and artillery continued to bombard parts of the central city of Homs, a focus of anti-government protests.

Opposition activists said the Baba Amr district was hit by mortars on Saturday morning, and that army snipers had been deployed on rooftops.

After a week under shellfire and virtual siege, conditions in Homs are reported to be getting desperate, with basic supplies running low.

On Friday, at least 52 people were killed across the country by security forces, including 16 in Homs and 15 in suburbs of Damascus, they added.

Human rights groups say more than 7,000 have died since the uprising began in March. The government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed combating "armed gangs and terrorists".

The US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, on Friday posted satellite imagery on Facebook which he said showed heavy weaponry deployed outside urban areas, including Homs, Zabadani, Rankun and Halban.

DigitalGlobe released this image allegedly showing tanks near the Al-Baath university complex in Homs

"When we see disturbing photos offering proof that the regime is using mortars and artillery against residential neighbourhoods, all of us become even more concerned about the tragic outcome for Syrian civilians," he wrote.

"It is odd to me that anyone would try to equate the actions of the Syrian army and armed opposition groups since the Syrian government consistently initiates the attacks on civilian areas, and it is using its heaviest weapons," he added, referring to Russia's belief that the rebels are equally culpable.

The satellite images are dated 6 February - the day the US closed its embassy in Damascus and Mr Ford left Syria, citing security concerns.

Meanwhile, the government and rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group of army defectors, blamed each other for two bomb blasts in the city of Aleppo that killed 28 people and wounded more than 200 others.

State television blamed the bombings on what it described as "armed terrorist gangs", which it said had targeted a Military Intelligence complex and a riot police base but killed civilian bystanders, including children.

The BBC's Jim Muir: "State TV has been carrying some extremely explicit and lurid footage"

It broadcast gruesome pictures of the aftermath of the two attacks, with large craters and scattered body parts.

The FSA's deputy leader told the BBC its fighters had been attacking the bases at the time, but were not responsible for the blasts.

Opposition activists in Aleppo also blamed the government, saying it was trying to discredit the uprising. They said there had been suspicious activity by security forces around the two bases before the explosions, and noted that state TV cameras had reached the sites within minutes.

Later, at least 13 people were reportedly killed when security forces and militiamen opened fire on a protest in the city's Marjeh district.