Three non-permanent members of the UN Security Council called on President Bashar Assad to end the violence and respect human rights after meeting with Syrian officials in Damascus Wednesday (August 10th), AFP reported.

Brazil, India and South Africa said in a joint statement that -Assad admitted his security forces had made "some mistakes" in dealing with protesters and "reassured the delegation of his commitment to the reform process".

Turkey's ambassador to Syria visited Hama on Wednesday as the Syrian military continued its reported withdrawal from the city.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan praised the military pull-out, saying "this is highly important to show that our initiatives had positive results."

Wire agencies reported that Syrian tanks returned to the city after the Turkish ambassador left, with the Federation of the Local Coordination Committees of the Syrian Revolution saying that 19 civilians were killed overnight into Thursday.

Morocco spoke out for the first time against the "escalating violence" and civilian casualties in Syria on Wednesday, MAP reported.

"The kingdom of Morocco, which has traditionally refrained from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, expresses today its strong worry and deep concern over the sad events rocking Syria," the foreign ministry said, adding that the regime needs to open a "thorough and inclusive dialogue" that meets protestors' "legitimate aspirations for democracy".

On Thursday, Syrian security forces continued its military campaign, entering the town of Qusayr in central Syria, activists said. At least 11 people were killed when security forces opened fire on residents who tried to flee, AFP reported.

The military also moved into Saraqeb, a village in the northeast Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement, adding that forces rounded up more than 100 people, including 35 children.