The latest deaths followed a bloody day in Homs, where activists said at least 22 people were killed as tanks shelled the Bab Amro district and troops and snipers fired elsewhere in the city, a hotbed of protests and an emerging insurgency. One witness, who asked not to be named, said he had seen dozens of bodies of civilian men with bullet wounds at the city's National Hospital, controlled by the security forces. There was no independent confirmation of the killings. Tough media curbs have made it hard to verify events in Syria since protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in March, inspired by other revolts against Arab autocrats.