PLEASE BE WARNED THIS FOOTAGE CONTAINS GRAPHIC MATERIAL.

The Red Cross has officially declared Syria at civil war. This follows the continued heavy fighting this morning, that has spread to more areas beyond Idlib, Homs and Hama, the three areas it considered as hot spots of clashes so far. Syria was regarded as "non-international armed conflict", a technical term for a civil war. The change in status by the ICRC makes the warring sides subjected to the Geneva Convention and war crime prosecutions.

UN monitors, arrived on their second visit at Tremseh where a sustained attack was carried out last week that left 220 civilians dead . On a tour round the heavily shelled buildings everywhere is devastation. Several houses could be seen destroyed; their interiors showing pock marks suggesting heavy rifle and rocket propelled grenade fire. Bloodstains could be seen on the walls, floors and furnishings. The monitors interviewed 27 villagers about the attack. The monitors say they were told that the Syrian army conducted house to house searches, asking for men and their identification cards, and then killing numerous men. Others were detained and taken from the village.

In a heart breaking scene this distraught woman cries out for a loved one as she is helped by a man who is trying to hold her up. She said "His name is Milad - they killed him."

In response to their visit The U.N. observer team in Syria called on President Bashar al-Assad's government to stop the use of heavy weapons in population centres. While the UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan prepared to meet Russia's foreign minister for talks on the Syrian crisis. To persuade Russia to back the UN peace mission as they been backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime throughout the conflict.

Written and Presented by Ann Salter