Though referendum voting apparently occurred mostly uninterrupted across much of Syria, violence also continued in some regions, particularly the disputed city of Homs, with opposition figures saying as many as 59 people had been killed.
Though the opposition reports continued to treat the violence as an “onslaught” by Assad regime forces, they also claimed that a large portion of the dead, 23, were members of the security forces killed by the rebels.
The reports also said rebel forces burned a Ba’ath Party building in Homs, as well as attacking an armored vehicle in the area. As usual, the reports gave no indication of how many of the remaining casualties were rebel combatants, simply folding them into the overall number.
The violence comes amid Red Cross efforts to broker a ceasefire in the country. At present the Red Cross says the Assad regime has not responded to the ceasefire request, though indications have been that their allies, including Russia, support the idea. The opposition has likewise given no indication they would support a ceasefire, with opposition leaders openly saying only the “military solution” is being considered.