Syria suggests it might not pull forces by deadline

Syria will not commit to pulling its forces from cities only to have "armed terrorist groups" commit attacks, a Syrian foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday as opposition activists reported at least 40 deaths in the restive nation.

The comments, made by Jihad Maqdisi on state-run TV, came two days before a Tuesday deadline for regime forces to withdraw from cities, which the government had agreed to as part of a peace plan laid out by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan.

But "Annan did not give written assurances that the armed groups would turn in their weapons," Makdissi said.

Annan has said he expects rebel fighters to also cease fire after the Tuesday deadline, but the deadline itself was for regime forces to withdraw from cities.

"Syria will not repeat what happened during the (Arab League) mission, when it committed to the exit of its armed forces from the cities and surrounding areas, then the armed terrorist groups took advantage to arm its members and conduct all forms of terrorism," Makdissi said, referring to an Arab League monitoring mission that took place several months ago.

At least 40 people were killed in fresh violence across the country Sunday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC), a network of opposition activists.

That means 496 people have been killed since President Bashar al-Assad agreed Monday to a complete withdrawal of Syrian forces by April 10, according to opposition activists.

The deaths Sunday included six children, four of them in Idlib, the network said. "The village of Bashira was entirely destroyed and the actual number of martyrs is unknown."

Annan said in a statement Sunday he was "shocked by recent reports of a surge in violence and atrocities in several towns and villages in Syria, resulting in alarming levels of casualties, refugees and displaced persons, in violation of assurances given to me.

"This is a time when we must all urgently work towards a full cessation of hostilities, providing the space for humanitarian access and creating the conditions for a political process to address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people," Annan said.

"As we get closer to the Tuesday 10 April deadline, I remind the Syrian government of the need for full implementation of its commitments and stress that the present escalation of violence is unacceptable," he said.

Throughout the more than year-long uprising against the regime, the Syrian government has consistently blamed violence on "armed terrorist groups." But U.N. and other world leaders have said the government is engaged in a violent crackdown.

Reports from Syrian opposition activists suggest government forces are slaughtering civilians in an attempt to wipe out dissidents seeking al-Assad's ouster. The al-Assad family has ruled Syria for 42 years.

Rebel fighters have taken up arms, but their strength has often paled in comparison to the better-equipped regime troops.

"This regime is trying, as usual, to create obstacles preventing (the application of) any real and effective solution on the ground to stop the bloodshed," said Abu Fares, the political representative of the Homs Revolutionary Council. "... We can't lay (down) our arms because we don't trust this regime."

At least 127 people were killed on Saturday, including 59 deaths in Hama, according to the LCC.

Syrian forces have been targeting civilians displaced from their homes by earlier fighting, the group said.

Specifically, the LCC said, the regime is attacking villages and farms around the eastern city of Rastan, where fighting a month ago forced out more than 80% of residents. They escaped to the nearby areas but are now coming under attack, the group said Saturday.

Syria said Sunday that the bodies of six "army and law enforcement martyrs" were buried.

CNN cannot independently verify reports of violence and deaths, as the government has severely restricted access to international media.

Annan's six-point plan for Syria includes calls for a cease-fire by both sides and a Syrian-led political process to end the crisis.

On Sunday morning, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency made little mention of any new violence but showed images of packed demonstrations that it said took place a day earlier.

"Syrian citizens in all the Syrian provinces on Saturday flocked to the main squares to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the Baath Arab Socialist Party," SANA said. "The participants in the rallies expressed the Syrian people, army and leadership's steadfastness in the face of the conspiracy hatched against Syria."

SANA reported Saturday that the government sent two identical letters to the president of the U.N. Security Council and to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accusing Arab and Western countries of backing the armed groups.

In the letters, Syria claimed that "terrorist acts committed by the armed terrorist groups in Syria have increased during the last few days, particularly after reaching an understanding on Kofi Annan's plan," according to SANA.

The letters said 2,088 Syrian forces and 478 police officers have been killed.

One LCC activist in Homs, identified only as Saleem for safety reasons, described a massacre outside a local school that the Syrian army used to launch offensives and detain people.

Saleem said the bodies of 13 people, including youths, were found with signs of torture.

"The truth is we have become used to such massacres. We have seen people beheaded, children killed, bodies torn apart, and nothing surprises us anymore," Saleem said Saturday. "All we could do is pray to all for help and call on the world to intervene."

The United Nations estimates that the fighting in Syria, which began a year ago, has killed at least 9,000 people. The LCC puts the toll at more than 11,000.