"Eleven soldiers and members of the security forces were killed in skirmishes on Thursday with deserter troops in the Homs region," the rights group said.

Earlier, the group said at least two civilians were killed when a sniper killed a man in the Bayyada area of Homs, where security forces shot dead another civilian during a raid in Karm el-Zeitoun district.

On Tuesday, six children and five mutinous soldiers were among 34 people killed across Syria, according to the Britain-based group.