Damascus : At least 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded in Homs in the most brutal government crackdown till date in the 11-month old uprising in Syria, activists have said.

Two main opposition groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees claimed that the death toll was over 200 people.

“This is the worst attack of the uprising, since the uprising began in March until now,” Fox News quoted Observatory head Rami Abdul-Rahman, as saying.

It is not yet clear what precipitated the attack but there have been reports that army defectors set up checkpoints in the area and were trying to consolidate control.

The attack comes in the wake of the UN Security Council meeting on the Syrian resolution.

The U.S. and its allies have ruled out military action in Syria but have called on President Bashar-al Assad to hand power over to the Vice President.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Gennady Gatilov said that Moscow could not support the resolution in its current form.

Assad’s regime has been intensifying its assault against army defectors and protesters.

The U.N. had earlier said over 5,400 people have been killed in violence since March.