Syrian army pounds Homs as U.S. warns arms for opposition may help al-Qaeda.

Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday near the main rebel stronghold of Baba Amro in the city of Homs when Syrian troops began a ground assault, opposition sources said, as the White House meanwhile warned that sending arms to opponents of Assad might help al-Qaeda.

“The army is trying to go in with infantry from the direction of al-Bassel football field and fierce confrontations with automatic rifles and heavy machineguns are taking place there,” activist Mohammad al-Homsi told Reuters from Homs.

As many as 104 people were killed in the shelling of opposition strongholds by Syrian forces on Tuesday, activists told Al Arabiya, including 35 in the Halfaya massacre in Hama and 26 others in another massacre committed by the Syrian forces in Baba Amro district of Homs.

Activists at the Local Coordination Committees told Al Arabiya that the Syrian troops stormed Deraa and launched a wide scale military campaign in Deir Ezzor.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be classified as a war criminal, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as the United Nations announced more than 7,500 civilians had been killed by his forces since the start of the revolt.

As world dismay grew over the bloodshed, France said the Security Council was working on a new Syria resolution and urged Russia and China not to veto it, as they have previous drafts, according to Reuters.