BRUTAL

Syrian Tanks Besiege Rebel City

U.N. issues first global response to violence.

Syria continues to wield military might against its own people, sending more tanks into the city of Hama. The military began to storm the rebellious city Sunday, using snipers and armored vehicles to seize the central square and suppress the civilian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The city was under fire beginning in the early morning and has reportedly seen more than 100 casualties since Sunday. Western powers including the United States and the European Union have condemned the government’s actions, as have Syria's allies Turkey and Russia. Assad has “lost all sense of humanity," remarked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council issued its first international response to the "widespread violations of human rights" and bloodshed after debating the issue for more than two months.