WARNING - EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES<br/> <br />Mourners in the northeastern Syrian province of Idlib pray behind the coffins of two rebels killed in fighting on Tuesday.<br/> <br />A large funeral procession for one of the Free Syrian Army fighters was held in the village, before the coffin was transported to the city of Aleppo, around 70 kilometres away.<br/> <br />Meanwhile, opposition sources say Syrian troops have launched a ground attack on Homs in an attempt to overrun the rebel-held Baba Amro neighbourhood. Homs has endured 25 days of siege and fierce bombardment.<br/> <br />On Tuesday, trapped British journalist Paul Conroy escaped to safety in Lebanon, though a number of his rescuers were killed in the process, and several Western journalists remain stranded in Baba Amro.<br/> <br />Speaking from Damascus, a Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed the government was committed to helping the remaining journalists.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, JIHAD MAKDISSI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Those who are still in Syria, we are committed on humanitarian grounds to facilitate the mission of their evacuation. The suspension is not from the Syrian side. That is what I can tell you in this phase and I assure you that. Exiting in such a way -- sneaking -- reinforces our doubts about their mission's nature in Syria."<br/> <br />He also claimed the Syrian government was not responsible for the delay in repatriating the bodies of Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik, killed in Homs last week.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, JIHAD MAKDISSI, SAYING:<br/> <br />"The attempts failed because the armed groups refused to hand over the bodies or release the journalists giving different excuses."<br/> <br />But activists Syrian troops are attacking Homs and numerous towns around the country.<br/> <br />The United Nations says President Bashar al-Assad's forces have killed more than 7,500 civilians since the uprising began last March.<br/> <br />Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
