A general strike was observed yesterday in several regions of Syria to step up the pressure on the regime, activists said, as fears grew of an “invasion” of the besieged protest hub of Homs.

The general strike is part of a campaign of civil disobedience called by activists

The general strike was being “very widely observed” in Daraa province, cradle of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad that broke out in mid-March, activists said. In Homs, all markets and shops on the city’s main streets were closed, according to the Observatory, which also reported that the strike spread to some nearby towns while some schools were closed in the region.

In towns near the capital, security forces tried to open shops by force and carried out arrests, said the rights watchdog and other activists. But “90 per cent” of businesses in Douma were closed.

But, in the central districts of Damascus, life carried on as normal.

In the latest bloodshed, 12 civilians were killed by security forces across Syria yesterday, including three children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Five people, including two of the children, were killed by gunfire in Homs, the group said, adding that at least 46 were also wounded in separate areas of the city when security forces fired from heavy machineguns.

Two civilians were also shot dead in Kfar Takharim, in Idlib province bordering Turkey, where deserters and soldiers clashed, the group said, adding that two troop transports were set ablaze. Elsewhere, two teenaged boys, aged 14 and 16, were killed as security forces opened fire in the southern Daraa province, where several people were also wounded.

A man who was abducted by regime forces earlier yesterday was later found dead in Jassem, also in Daraa province, the Observatory said, while a man and a woman were killed by sniper fire in Douma, near Damascus, where three women were also abducted by security forces.

The general strike is part of a campaign of civil disobedience called by activists who have announced plans to shut down universities, public transport, the civil service and major highways.

The opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) and activists, meanwhile, have warned of a looming bloody final assault on Homs.

Witnesses in Homs, besieged by government troops, have reported a buildup of troops and pro-regime “shabiha” militiamen in armoured vehicles who have set up more than 60 checkpoints, the SNC said.

The Britain-based Observatory also warned that residents fear “a large invasion of the city.”