(VOVworld) – Syria’s army launched a major ground assault on rebel-held districts in the central city of Homs on Tuesday.

Security and emergency medical personnel work at the site of a car bomb explosion in Syria's central city of Homs on April 14, 2014 (Photo: AFP)

State television reported that Syria’s army and the pro-regime militia National Defence Forces (NDF) ahave achieved key successes in the old city of Homs. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights organization, the army launched the attacks 5 days ago using a wide range of weaponry.

On the same day, the Syrian government blamed various countries and Syria’s rebels for recent chemical weapon attacks in the country. In letters sent to the UN Security Council and the UN Chief Ban Ki-moon, the Syrian government quoted information and documents purportedly showing that the US, Turkey, Israel, France and Saudi Arabia were directly or indirectly involved in the attacks. Damascus also accused Washington of distorting evidence relating to this issue.