Military attacks on the Syrian city of Hama began on Sunday (July 31st) and continued on Monday, wire agencies reported.

At least 145 people were killed across Syria on Sunday with the majority of the deaths taking place in Hama. Rami Abdel Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called Sunday one of the "deadliest days" of the five month uprising in the country.

Monday morning saw renewed violence, with witnesses reporting 25 people killed, al-Jazeera English reported. Syrian tanks that had entered the city on Sunday retreated overnight but then returned in the morning.

The Syrian government asserts that it is containing threats from armed Salafist gangs, while Syria-based NGOs claim that only civilians are involved in the peaceful protests.