Gunfire in Syrian coastal city: 35 dead in 4 days

BEIRUT (AP) - Heavy machine-gun fire rang out across the besieged Syrian city of Latakia Tuesday as the death toll from a four-day military assault rose to 35. The British foreign secretary said President Bashar Assad was losing "the last shreds of his legitimacy."

Assad has dramatically escalated the crackdown on a 5-month-old uprising since the start of the holy month of Ramadan at the beginning of August. Despite broad international condemnation, the regime has unleashed tanks, ground troops and snipers in an attempt to retake control in rebellious areas.

"The Syrian regime has besieged towns and cities across the country, using anti-aircraft guns against civilians, a disproportionate and unacceptable response to peaceful demonstrations," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Tuesday. "He is fast losing the last shreds of his legitimacy. He must stop the violence immediately."

The military operations have targeted Latakia, the opposition stronghold of Hama, the central city of Homs, as well as the eastern city of Deir el-Zour.

The state-run SANA news agency said army units began withdrawing from Deir el-Zour Tuesday after clearing the city of "armed terrorist gangs" in an operation that lasted several days. Syrian journalists on a government-organized trip to the city saw armored personnel carriers and other military vehicles on their way out.

Syrian troops seized control of the eastern flashpoint city last Wednesday after shelling it and carrying out a string of arrests.