The Syrian military is pressing its crackdown against anti-government dissent in the port city of Latakia while troops are carrying out new raids near the central city of Homs.

Residents of Latakia report tank fire in parts of the city on the third day of the assault, and witnesses say people are trying to flee, but several have been shot at checkpoints.

Syrian rights activists say the security forces have killed nearly 30 people in the coastal city since Saturday, including two on Monday.

Meanwhile, activists say troops backed by tanks are also carrying out raids and arrests in Houla, a town near Homs.

Latakia and Homs are among the Syrian cities that have seen large protests demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad.

Activists and witnesses say Syrian gunboats joined tanks in firing on Latakia Sunday, a new element in the government's crackdown that has been escalating since mid-March.

Syrian officials give a different account of events in Latakia. They deny the city was shelled from the sea. They say the naval vessels were on routine duty to protect the coast and prevent arms smuggling. On Sunday, Syria's state-run news agency said law enforcement personnel were pursuing gunmen who it said were terrifying residents of Latakia.

The Syrian government has blamed much of the country's unrest on armed groups, terrorists and foreign conspiracies.

President Assad has been facing growing international condemnation for the crackdown, and the United Nations Security Council is planning to meet Thursday to consider further action against the Syrian government.

Details of events in Syria are difficult to verify independently because the government allows very few foreign news reporters into the country and restricts their movements.

Rights groups and activists say at least 1,700 people have been killed since the start of the government's crackdown.