Syria's government has vowed to deal "decisively" with the gunmen blamed....

Syria's government has vowed to deal "decisively" with the gunmen blamed for the deaths of 120 security personnel in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.

.Residents later warned that there would be massive bloodshed if the authorities attempted to restore control by force.

Meanwhile, France says it is ready to ask the UN Security Council to vote on a draft resolution condemning Damascus, despite a likely Russian veto.

Speaking in Washington, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Paris believed that strong support in the 15-member Council might persuade the Russians "to change their mind".

"We think that it will be possible to get 11 votes in favour of the resolution and we'll see what the Russians will do," he said.

The draft resolution was drawn up by France, Britain, Germany and Portugal, the AFP news agency reports. The document condemns violence at the hands of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and asks him to open Syrian cities to humanitarian teams.