叙利亚活动人士称支持政府的部队进攻霍姆斯战略要地

Syrian activists say forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are pushing to gain control in a strategically important section of the central city of Homs.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday the troops have taken over a large part of the Wadi al-Sayeh neighborhood, which sits between several rebel-controlled districts in center of the city.

The Observatory warned that if pro-Assad forces capture what it calls the city\'s "old neighborhoods," then there are fears that sectarian killings could follow.

Homs is Syria\'s third-largest city, located along a highway about halfway between the capital, Damascus, to the south and the commercial center of Aleppo to the north.  It has been a key hub in the more than two-year-old uprising against Mr. Assad.

设在英国的叙利亚人权了望台星期四说，政府军已经攻占瓦迪阿尔萨耶居民区的一大部分。这个在市中心的这个居民区四周连接若干反政府武装控制的地区。

人权了望台警告说，一旦忠于总统阿萨德的政府军全部攻占他们所说的这个城市“老区”，那就担心可能会发生派别之间的杀戮。

霍姆斯是叙利亚第三大城市，扼守着位于南方的首都大马士革和北方商业城市阿勒颇之间的公路，是咽喉要道。在两年多以来的反抗阿萨德的战斗中，这个城市也是反政府军的重要战略据点。