BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops have shot dead nine people in a central city as President Bashar Assad was quoted as telling the U.N. chief that military operations in his country have ended, activist said Thursday. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees, a group that documents anti-regime protests, said the latest shooting occurred in the central city of Homs. The groups said most of it took place late Wednesday night, after many Muslims attended a special prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Muhannad al-Hassani, who heads the Syrian Organization for Human Rights, another rights group, said that Assad's crackdown also killed nine people elsewhere in Syria on Wednesday. With the Homs killings, that brought the day's toll across the country to 18. In Washington, U.S. officials said the Obama administration is ready to make an explicit call for Assad to leave power. The timing is still in flux but preparations are in place for the White House to issue a statement Thursday demanding that Assad step down, the officials said. This would be accompanied by an announcement of new sanctions on the Assad regime and followed by an on-camera appearance by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to reinforce the U.S. position, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. Assad has unleashed tanks and ground troops in an attempt to retake control in rebellious areas. The military assault has escalated dramatically since the start of the holy month of Ramadan in August, killing hundreds and detaining thousands. In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to Assad demanding the immediate end of all military operations and mass arrests, according to a statement issued late Wednesday by the U.N. In response, Assad said that military and police operations had stopped, the statement said. "We hope the news are true," said rights activist al-Hassani when asked about Assad's comment. "The situation is still difficult." A Homs-based activist told The Associated Press that intense shooting continued all night until sunrise Thursday. He added that in addition to the heavy machinegun fire at least two explosions were heard in the city. "We didn't sleep last night. The president said operations ended while about 20 people were killed yesterday," said the resident , speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals. "Forces stormed neighborhoods and detained dozens." The activist added that several people were wounded Wednesday when security forces opened fire at the Fatima mosque in Homs' western suburb of Waer as it was packed with worshippers. State-run news agency SANA said four gunmen stole cellular telephones from people who were at an Internet cafe in Waer. The report said the owner of the cafe fled to a nearby mosque as gunmen chased after him, opening fire inside and wounding six worshippers. With tension rising, the United Nations said it has temporarily withdrawn about two dozen "nonessential" international staff from Syria because of security concerns. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday that some family members of U.N. staff have been relocated to other countries. The government insists its crackdown is aimed at rooting out terrorists fomenting unrest in the country. In comments carried on the state-run news agency Wednesday, Assad appeared to lash out at the international reproach, saying his country will not give up its "dignity and sovereignty." Human rights groups and witnesses accuse Syrian troops of firing on largely unarmed protesters and say more than 1,800 civilians have been killed since mid-March. Also Wednesday, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared Assad to Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. "We made our calls (to Gadhafi) but unfortunately we got no result," Erdogan said. "The same thing is happening with Syria at the moment." Turkey, a neighbor and former close ally of Syria, has been increasingly frustrated with Damascus' crackdown. But Turkey, Syria's most important trade partner, has not joined the U.S. and Europe in imposing sanctions.
