Turkish soldiers stand guard in Akcakale close to the Syrian border on October 4. Warplanes pounded rebel-held areas of Homs in the Syrian city's heaviest onslaught for months on Friday, monitors said, as Turkey reportedly returned cross-border shellfire for the second time this week. The clashes came as the UN condemned the Syrian army's deadly shelling of a Turkish border town on Wednesday, and "terrorist" car bombs that killed almost 50 people in the war-torn country's second main city, Aleppo on the same day.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombardment of Khaldiyeh district was the most intense in Homs in five months, and the first time the regime has deployed fighter jets against the city.
Rebels hit back by downing a regime helicopter gunship in Damascus province and seizing an army checkpoint outside the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, killing at least 12 soldiers, said the Observatory.
"Allahu akbar! (God is greatest). The helicopter is falling!" a youth yelled as an aircraft was seen tumbling from the sky in flames on an amateur video that activists posted on the Internet.
The Observatory reported eight civilians and one rebel killed in the city of Homs city and the surrounding province, updating its Friday death toll to 95 nationwide -- 37 soldiers, 35 civilians and 23 rebel fighters.
It said six civilians and 11 rebels were killed in Aleppo, where an AFP correspondent reported intense street battles in Arkoub district.
The insurgents have occupied health facilities and schools as makeshift bases, the correspondent said, adding they move around the area through holes in the walls of buildings.
There also were signs of strain from troops in the city, with one officer admitting "the battle for Arkoub is as tough as the struggle for Hanano" last month, when rebels took control of a fortress-like compound in Aleppo for three days.
Despite the relentless violence, thousands of people demonstrated across Syria calling for the arming of the rebel Free Syrian Army and condemning the world's inaction, the UK-based Observatory reported.
The uprising, which began in March 2011 with pro-democracy protests that were brutally crushed, has since turned into a civil war pitting mainly Sunni rebels against President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite-dominated regime.
Activists say more than 31,000 people have died in the conflict.
The world community has expressed fear the war could spill over into other countries in the region, exacerbated by exchanges of shelling between Syria and Turkey on Wednesday and Thursday.
Turkey had demanded strong UN action after Syrian fire killed five people in the border town of Akcakale on Wednesday, including a mother and her three children.
And on Friday, a Syrian shell hit the Turkish town of Altinozu in Hatay province, triggering an immediate response fire from Turkish forces. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
The UN Security Council issued a toughly worded statement in response to Syria's initial shelling, although it was a rung down from a formal resolution.
"The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the shelling by the Syrian armed forces," it said.
Saying the shelling "highlighted the grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbours and on regional peace," the statement demanded "that such violations of international law stop immediately and are not repeated."
A statement agreed on Friday by the 15-nation council condemned the Aleppo bomb attacks "in the strongest terms" and expressed condolences to families of the victims "of these heinous acts."
On Friday, Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syria "it would pay a big price" for any more attacks and reiterated Turkey does not want war "but is ready to act if threatened".
"I am calling once more on the Assad regime and its supporters: Don't dare to test Turkey's patience," he told a crowd in Istanbul.
Prior to the latest shellfire, the border region between Turkey and Syria had been quiet on Friday, although the Turkish military had amassed tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.
Inside Syria, protesters took to the streets of several cities and towns after being urged to turn out under the rallying cry: "We want weapons, not words, to protect our children from the killing".
"The people demand the arming of the FSA (Free Syrian Army)!" hundreds of men chanted outside a white mosque in Halfaya, in Hama Province, while holding the flag of the revolt.
Meanwhile, a rebel commander warned his fighters would execute dozens of Iranians they kidnapped inside Syria in August unless the army withdraws from the embattled Eastern Ghouta area of Damascus province.
"We gave the regime 48 hours starting yesterday to withdraw completely from the Eastern Ghouta area," Abul Wafa told AFP via the Internet. "We also have other secret, military demands. If the regime does not fulfil them we will start finishing off the hostages."