Syria attacks Palestinian refugee camp

An assault by Syrian security forces on a Palestinian refugee camp in the coastal city of Latakia is "a crime against humanity", a senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organisation said.

"The shelling is taking place using gunships and tanks on houses built from tin, on people who have no place to run to," Yasser Abed Rabbo, the PLO secretary general, said.

Residents say security forces are targeting areas occupied by protesters against President Bashar al-Assad.

The UN agency that cares for Palestinian refugees said latest reports indicated that al-Raml camp, home to 10,000 registered refugees, was now almost deserted.