UN votes to send observers to Syria amid shaky truce

BEIRUT: The United Nations Security Council on Saturday voted to authorize the deployment toSyria of an advance team of up to 30 military observers after a 24-hour delay to wrangle withRussia over the resolution, as low-level violence sputtered in various Syrian cities.

Sporadic mortar shells from the government's armed forces again struck Homs, according to activists, but over all, the internationally backed ceasefire appeared to be holding.

The toll reported by both sides reached at least nine dead. A video posted online showed what was said to be the corpse of a man in Homs marooned on the street by what seemed to be periodic shells and sniper fire. Another showed black smoke rising from apartment buildings.

A second man killed during the shelling barrage in Homs was identified as Samir Shalb al-Sham , a photographer who had specialized in documenting the destruction wrought on the city.

"He was one of the most important photographers because he was keen on documenting everything, and was never afraid," said Walid Fares, an activist reached via Skype. "He would follow tanks and film them, go under gunfire to film the regime's violations. His YouTube films were very important."

Fares said Sham had spent the night at his house on Friday and went around 11 am to film. "We were waiting for him to return, and we are still waiting," said Fares, choking with emotion.

At least three other people were killed when government forces opened fire at a funeral in Aleppo that turned into an antigovernment demonstration , according to the Local Coordination Committees , an activist group. It said the troops fired live ammunition and tear gas - an onlin video showed tear gas wafting down one street with the sound of gunfire in the background.

Demonstrators against the government of president Bashar al-Assad took to the streets again in cities and hamlets across Syria, their smaller-than-anticipated numbers a reflection of the fear of the security forces that have maintained a heavy presence and that occasionally fired toward or arrested protesters.

The government accused the opposition of assassinating a law enforcement officer in the countryside near Damascus and critically wounding a second. An army colonel near Hama and a parliamentary candidate in the north were both kidnapped, according to state-run media. "The terrorist groups escalated crimes of killing and sabotage in an attempt to foil Annan's mission," said a report on state-run television, referring to Kofi Annan, who negotiated the truce as the joint special envoy of the UN and Arab League.