As violence in Syria mounts, U.S. could call for al-Assad to step down

The international cries for Syria's government to end a bloody crackdown on civilians could intensify Wednesday as activist groups reported fresh onslaughts in several cities.

The United Nations Security Council is expected Wednesday to follow up on a statement last week that condemned the Syrian regime for attacks on peaceful protesters and called for both sides to end the violence.

Meanwhile, the United States is moving toward issuing an explicit call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, U.S. government sources told CNN Tuesday.

The move is expected to be announced in coming days after U.S. officials consult with the United Nations Security Council, the sources said. They said the question of whether to call for al-Assad to step down has been under discussion over the past few weeks, the sources said.

While international leaders mull their next steps, heavy gunfire, explosions and tanks permeated the eastern city of Deir Ezzor on Wednesday, an activist group and a resident said.

Businesses and homes belonging to known opposition organizers have been destroyed, said the resident, who did not want to be identified for safety reasons. He said at least 20 motorcycles belonging to residents were burned -- a move he suspects was an effort by security forces to hamper residents' resources.

Security forces were impounding and burning motorcycles in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka, Irbeen and Hammouriya as well, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"There are also large scale arrests in those areas as mobile service and landline communications have been completely cut out in the areas since the start of the military operation" Wednesday morning, the observatory said in a statement.

The group also said gunfire from security forces killed one woman and injured three people in the northwestern town of Sirmeen Wednesday.

The conflict in Syria was fueled five months ago when Syrian forces swiftly suppressed protests in the southern city of Daraa. Anti-government fervor caught on nationwide as more protests were met with tougher crackdowns.

While activists blame government security forces for the violence and casualties, the al-Assad regime has consistently said "armed groups" are responsible.

By Wednesday, the death toll had reached 2,417 -- including more than 2,000 civilians, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of activists.

The number includes 84 deaths in the city of Deir Ezzor alone since Saturday, when pro-government forces began a military campaign in the area, the LCC said.

Syria has restricted international journalists' access to the country, and CNN was unable to independently confirm the death toll and details of the situation.

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and al-Assad engaged in more than six hours of talks in Damascus.

"Our primary target is the bloodshed to stop," Davutoglu told reporters after the meetings. "We shared what needs to be done for the bloodshed to stop, for the civilian losses to end and for the political reform process, in line with the people's demands, to take place."

The Turkish diplomat added, "We discussed concrete issues that would not be right for me to give details of."

Al-Assad told Davutoglu that his country won't relent in chasing down the "armed terrorist groups" it blames for the violence that has engulfed the nation, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

Al-Assad briefed Davutoglu on the killing and terrorizing in some Syrian cities by the purported groups. At the same time, he indicated that Syria is committed to reform and is open to help from other countries, the news agency said.

Indian, South African and Brazilian envoys are also planning to meet with Syrian officials to deal with the crisis.

The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council have publicly spoken out against the crackdown, and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have recalled their ambassadors from Damascus.

Russia called on the Syrian government Tuesday "to stop the violence and to introduce deep political changes," the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on its website.

And Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has condemned violence in Syria in a rare rebuke directed at a fellow Arab leader, who leads a majority Sunni Muslim nation with a government dominated by minority Alawites, whose faith is a spinoff of Shiite Islam. Abdullah demanded an end "to the killing machine and the bloodshed."

Amnesty International urged world leaders to take more concrete action before a Wednesday Security Council debate at which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to deliver a report on Syria.

Many groups and countries viewed last week's Security Council statement as ineffectual.

"Any honest examination of the facts of the horrific situation in Syria should be more than sufficient to persuade the Security Council to come up with a legally binding resolution, not just a meek statement," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"A mere diplomatic appeal to the Syrian authorities to end the ongoing violence against civilians will fall far short of what the situation demands."