Deadly attacks in Homs kill at least 20

Syrian activists say two grisly attacks have killed at least 20 civilians over the past 24 hours in a city at the heart of the country's uprising.The Syrian opposition's two main activist groups said gunmen attacked factory workers in the village of Houla, killing at least 11 on Wednesday.The wave of violence apparently started late Tuesday. Majd Amer, an activist in Homs, said gunmen attacked a bus carrying workers, killing nine passengers.

It was not clear who was behind the attacks. Machine gun fire could be heard on the streets Wednesday afternoon.The violence comes as the Arab League was set to unveil its plan to ease violence in Syria, calling for the withdrawal of tanks and armored vehicles from the streets.