Activists: 200 dead in Syria's Homs

msnbc.com news services/

The offensive was reported in Homs, which has been one of the main flashpoints of opposition to the regime during the uprising that began nearly 11 months ago. The reports were centered in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood.

Two main opposition groups said 200 people were killed in the assault late Friday and early Saturday. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees cited witnesses on the ground.

The LCC said the regime used tanks and heavy machine-guns.

The reports could not be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council will meet on Saturday to vote on a European-Arab draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to give up power, council members announced.

"UN Security Council is set to meet 9:00 a.m. Saturday," Britain's U.N. mission announced on Twitter on Friday. "Plan is to vote on Syria resolution." Other missions confirmed the announcement.

Diplomats said that the meeting was tentatively scheduled for 9:00 a.m. EST, though Russia had requested that it be pushed back to 11:00 a.m.

Diplomats said it was unclear if Russia, which has opposed significant council action on Syria since an uprising started there 11 months ago, would vote in favor, abstain or veto the resolution.

The United Nations says more than 5,000 people have died in attempts by Syrian government forces to crush anti-Assad protests across the country.