BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists say that the death toll from the latest government offensive into the rebellious city of Homs has risen to 16 people, with a key group calling for international intervention.

Activists said Monday that 23 people were killed in Sunday’s crackdown, including at least 16 people in and around Homs, which has experienced a fierce assault by government troops over the past five days.

The opposition umbrella Syrian National Council meanwhile declared Homs a “disaster area” and called for international protection for civilians and for sending Arab and international observers to oversee the situation on the ground.

Violence in Syria has continued unabated, though Damascus agreed to halt its crackdown on the 7-month-old uprising that the U.N. says has left 3,000 people dead.