Red Cross, other relief agencies hoping to get entry into battered Syrian city

London, Mar. 2 (ANI): The Red Cross and other relief agencies are reportedly hoping to gain entry to the bombarded Syrian city of Homs on Friday, a day after government troops delivered a telling blow to rebel fighters.

The relief agencies have said that they are keen to provide urgent aid and facilitate the evacuation of the wounded. yrian forces overran the Baba Amr district of Homs following a rebel retreat on Thursday, but the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) warned of a "massacre" in Baba Amr.

The UN Security Council has called on Syria to allow "immediate" humanitarian access in cities that are protesting against the Bashar-el-Assad regime.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she had seen press reports that the Syrian government was promising to allow aid into Baba Amr.

"So if in fact it's true, it would be a good step forward, but we, you know, we are obviously sceptical of Syrian government promises," Nuland said in Washington.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were preparing to urgently reach the conflict zone, an ICRC spokesman said.

"The ICRC and the SARC will go on Friday to Baba Amr to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded," Damascus spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh said. (ANI)