Syria unrest: Arab League observers set to arrive
The UN says some 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since protests began in March but right groups say the figure is much higher.
Damascus blames the unrest on "armed gangs" seeking to destabilise Syria, BBC News reports.
Russia is coming under pressure to speed up work on its draft UN resolution condemning the violence.
Moscow surprised diplomats by submitting the draft last week but there has been little progress since.
On Thursday, the US issued fresh travel advice for Americans, urging "US citizens currently in Syria to depart immediately".
"US citizens should not travel to Syria due to ongoing violence and civil unrest," the advisory said.
'Playing for time'
An advance party of Arab League observers, accompanied by members of the media, will arrive in Syria on Thursday to prepare for the arrival of the full delegation, which will have a one-month mandate that can be extended by another month if both sides agree.
They will oversee Syria's compliance with the Arab League initiative, which calls for attacks to stop, troops to withdraw from the streets and detained protesters to be freed.
Damascus's decision to admit them was announced on Monday, after weeks of delays.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said they would be allowed freedom of movement and be protected by the government.
But critics of President Bashar al-Assad are sceptical about his decision, saying it is a ploy and he is simply playing along with the diplomatic process in an attempt to stave off more stringent UN action.
Activists point to an upsurge in attacks on anti-government protesters this week as evidence that Mr Assad is attempting to stifle unrest quickly.
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