Bombardment of the Syrian city of Homs by government forces killed at least 47 civilians over the past eight hours, activists in the city and opposition sources said on Wednesday, February 8.

"Electricity returned briefly and we were able to contact various neighborhoods because activists there managed to recharge their phones. We counted 47 killed since midnight," activist Mohammad Hassan said by satellite phone, according to Reuters.

The United Nations has said more than 5,400 people were killed from mid-March, when the Syrian regime began its crackdown on pro-democracy activists, to January, when the UN stopped its body count.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says more than 6,800 people have died.