Witnesses and anti-government activists in Syria say at least 10 people were killed on Tuesday when security forces fired on civilians in the city of Homs.

They say at least three of the victims were shot and killed while attending a funeral for people killed during a security sweep on Monday.

Homs has been the scene of violence since the weekend as President Bashar al-Assad continues his crackdown on dissent.

Deadly sectarian clashes erupted in Homs on Saturday after the dismembered bodies of three supporters of Mr. Assad were returned to relatives in the city.

Activists and residents say Assad loyalists then went on a rampage in predominantly Sunni areas of Homs, torching and breaking into Sunni-owned shops. In all, they say about 30 people were killed in the sectarian violence. The Assad family is from Syria's minority Alawite community.

The details of the violence in Syria are difficult to verify because Syria does not allow foreign media to report and travel freely.

Mr. Assad has sent security forces into towns and cities across the country to crush a four-month-old anti-government uprising. Western powers have condemned the violent crackdown and imposed sanctions on Syrian leaders.