Rocket in Syria's Hama kills 12, wounds dozens

Beirut: Security forces fired rockets that ripped through a building in Syria's central city of Hama on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more, activists said, in a bloody violation of the shaky ceasefire in the country.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Hama district of Mashaa al-Teran had been hit by heavy fire. The grassroots Local Coordination Committee put the death toll from the shelling at 15, with 30 wounded.

Hama, a centre of revolt in the year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, is hosting a small team of United Nations observers, who are preparing the way for a larger UN mission which will arrive to monitor the ceasefire.