BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian activists say an evening assault by government forces in the central city of Homs has killed 200 people and wounded hundreds.

The offensive was reported in Homs, which has been one of the main flashpoints of opposition to the regime during the uprising that began nearly 11 months ago. The reports were centered in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood.

Two main opposition groups said 200 people were killed in the assault late Friday and early Saturday. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees cited witnesses on the ground.

The LCC said the regime used tanks and heavy machine-guns.

The reports could not be independently confirmed.