Fresh fighting has erupted in various parts of Syria, activists say, with at least five people reported killed by government shelling in the south.

The violence comes despite both sides rejecting the characterization of the conflict as civil war by a UN official.

The Syrian opposition fighters say they are defending a peaceful uprising.

Both sides have predicted a massacre at the western mountain town of Haffa, where opposition fighters are besieged.

The Local Coordination Committees, a network of anti-government groups, said the latest violence included shelling in the town of Bosra el-Sham near Deraa in the south.

They said at least five people had been killed there on Wednesday.

The LCC also reported shelling by government forces in the city of Rastan, near Homs, and heavy gunfire in Deir al-Zour in the east.

On Tuesday, activists said at least 60 people had been killed across the country.

Monitors blocked

On Tuesday the head UN peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, characterized the conflict as "a civil war" during an interview in New York.

Ladsous told a small group of reporters: "Clearly what is happening is that the government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control."

Opposition groups say this was not a civil war, but a peaceful uprising.

The UN and the US have warned of an alarming escalation in violence in Haffa, amid reports of a build-up of government forces around the town.

UN monitors say they were shot at and prevented from reaching the town on Tuesday. Monitors judged the situation to be "unsafe" and turned back, a UN spokeswoman said.

The UN monitors are in Syria to observe the implementation of a peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. However, a ceasefire which was supposed to come into effect in April never took hold.

Also on Tuesday, the US criticized Russian sales of arms to Syria. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the latest information indicated that attack helicopters were on their way from Russia to Syria - a move she said would escalate the conflict dramatically.

Meanwhile, Turkey expressed concern about the number of Syrian refugees crossing into Turkey.
"We are disturbed by the possibility that it could spread to us," Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru told state TV on Wednesday.

He said 1,400 more Syrian refugees had arrived in the past two days in Turkey, increasing the total number to more than 29,000.

Earlier this month, activists said Syrian government forces killed 108 people in the region of Houla, in Homs province, and 78 people in the village of Qubair, in Hama province.

The UN says at least 9,000 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests began in March 2011.

PHOTO CAPTION

United Nation observers inspect a government military position in Homs June 11, 2012.

BBC