Smoke which activists say is due to shelling by government forces, rises above buildings in Hom

BEIRUT: Violence has killed more than 15,000 people in Syria since a revolt erupted last year against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday.

At least 10,480 civilians, 3,715 soldiers and 830 defectors have been killed in the crackdown and in clashes since March 2011, said the Britain-based group, which counts those who have taken up arms against the regime as civilians.