Syria asks journalists to report to government

Syria's information ministry said foreign journalists illegally inside the country should report to the government on Tuesday, hours after bombardment of a rebel neighborhood in Homs killed two foreign journalists smuggled into Syria, Reuters reported.

"The ministry asks all foreign journalists that have entered Syria illegally to go to the nearest centre for immigration and passports to resolve the situation according to the laws in force," the ministry said in a statement on Syria TV.

Marie Colvin, who was working for Britain's Sunday Times, and photojournalist Remi Ochlik were among a group of journalists who had sneaked into the country and were sharing accommodations with activists in the embattled city of Homs, raising speculation that Syrian forces targeted the makeshift media center.

The information ministry denied the accusations.

American, French journalists killed in Syria
Marie Colvin focused reporting on women, children
Syria blogger reportedly killed in shelling

"The ministry had no knowledge of the entrance of the American journalist Marie Colvin or the French photographer Remi Ochlik, or other foreign journalists to Syrian territory," Syria TV cited the ministry as saying.

Activists said between two and four other journalists were wounded. One of them, a French woman, is in critical condition.

On Jan. 11, award-winning French TV reporter Gilles Jacquier was killed in Homs. The 43-year-old correspondent for France-2 Television was the first Western journalist to die since the uprising began in March.

Syrian authorities have said he was killed in a grenade attack carried out by opposition forces - a claim questioned by the French government, human rights groups and the Syrian opposition.

Last week, New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of an apparent asthma attack in Syria after he sneaked in to cover the conflict.

"This tragic incident is another example of the shameless brutality of the Assad regime," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said of the journalists killed.

On Wednesday, Syrian forces intensified their shelling of Homs as President Bashar Assad's regime also escalated attacks on rebel bases elsewhere, with helicopter gunships strafing areas in the northwest, activists said.

In all, 74 people were killed nationwide as of late Wednesday. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that more than 4,000 have died in the 11-month crackdown against opponents of the Assad regime. Weeks of withering barrages on Homs have failed to drive out opposition factions that include rebel soldiers who fled Assad's forces.

Hundreds have died in the siege and the latest deaths further galvanized international pressure on Assad, who appears intent on widening his military crackdowns despite the risk of pushing Syria into full-scale civil war.