UN puts Syria civilian deaths at 7,500 More than 7,500 civilians have died since the revolt against Bashar al-Assad began almost a year ago, a UN official said on Tuesday, as news from the ground underscored the civilian suffering, which some fear may be deepened if outside powers arm the rebels. The latest grim toll from the savage assault by Mr Assad's forces highlights a growing divide opening between those calling for immediate military assistance to the embattled opposition and others who worry a flood of weapons could lead to revenge attacks and other human rights abuses. "We're very ambivalent about proposals to arm the opposition and so forth, because we think these kind of suggestions will militarise, and make it very difficult to rebuild an inclusive society," said Yakin Erturk, co-author of a UN-commissioned report on abuses in Syria that was published last week. The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva was on Tuesday expected to attack Syria for its relentless heavy weapons assault on civilian areas since Russia and China vetoed Security Council action against Mr Assad early this month. Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, Syria's UN ambassador to Geneva, walked out of the session on the near year-long uprising, which is estimated by some to have left more than 8,000 dead. Alain Juppé, French foreign minister, said Mr Assad's government had "broken all the limits of barbarism." Avaaz, the campaign group, accused the Syrian government of slaughtering activists evacuating people from Homs" besieged Baba Amr district, including Paul Conroy, the injured photographer who was rescued on Tuesday after being trapped in the city following the rocket attack on a makeshift media centre last week that killed Marie Colvin, the UK-based war correspondent, and Remi Ochlik, a young French photographer. The campaign group said 23 activists had been killed bringing injured people out and medical relief in since Wednesday, with three dying trying to rescue Mr Conroy and other trapped journalists, including Edith Bouvier, the injured French reporter. As Qatar, Saudi Arabia and a growing number of Syrian opponents of Mr Assad call for weapons to be sent to the rebel Free Syrian Army to help it fight back against the much better-armed government security forces, some analysts and regime foes warned the group was not ready for a flood of arms. Some of those opposed to intervention fear despatching weapons would lead to abuses and infighting among a militarised opposition that is fragmented and unaccountable. While the UN-commissioned report on Syria published last week said government forces were responsible for by far the most abuses, it alleged armed rebels had tortured and executed suspected pro-government militiamen in Homs, as well as carrying out revenge killings of their families. Human Rights Watch also says it has received reports of kidnapping, torture and summary execution by the armed opposition. One man from a town in the Damascus suburbs said the Free Syrian Army executed a local man suspected of collaborating with the regime recently and returned the corpse to his family the next day with a sign saying "this is the destiny of anyone who works with the regime." "It's a lesson - people will not do that again," said the man, who saw the FSA as heroic defenders of a small town where he said 42 people had been killed by regime forces. Many analysts stress that violence by opposition forces in Syria is a response to the scale and longevity of the regime's brutality, including months of attacks by tanks and militias, mass detentions and torture. Armed opponents of the regime, gathered under the Free Syrian Army banner, began to defend opposition strongholds such as the Damascus suburbs but also went on the offensive themselves at times, and became enmeshed in and contributed to a climate of violence that has allowed criminality to flourish. Nadim Houry, Human Rights Watch's deputy Middle East director, said it was hard to hold any armed opposition groups accountable, as wasn't clear if the Free Syrian Army's self-styled leadership in Turkey had influence over factions avowedly affiliated to the organisation, let alone those that were not. "The challenge is figuring out who has leverage over these armed groups," Mr Houry said.