Mass killings of civilians in Syria continues as the conflict between the Syrian military, led by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and the opposition named the Free Syrian Army, grows more ferocious.

Inspired by the uprising in Tunisia and Egypt, the protests began in the southern city of Dera in March of last year. Al-Assad’s regime responded with a brutal crackdown, killing more than 5,000 people so far, according to the U.N.

Last week, twin bombs exploded in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, killing 28 people. One bomb went off near a park, killing children as well as other civilians, regime-controlled Syrian State television reported.

FSA denies any responsibility for the bombings, and blames the Syrian army forces for the blasts.

Syria’s third-largest city Homs, a central area for the uprising, has been bombarded for more than a week straight by the Syrian government, resulting in a significant number of casualties.

Those opposing the Syrian government seek the ousting of al-Assad, who took office following his father’s death in 2000. Al-Assad’s family, a minority Alawite (Shiite) sect, has been in power for 40 years in Syria, a predominantly Sunni country.

San Diego State Professor Ahmet Kuru, an expert in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies in the Department of Political Science, said the relationship between Shia and Sunni Muslims is determined by political and socio-economic conditions.

“If President Assad’s family had respected basic human rights of its citizens, then the people would not have opposed the regime so strongly. It is a matter of freedom, not religion,” he said.

President Barack Obama condemned the Syrian government’s assault against the protesters.

“Al-Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now. He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately,” he said in a statement from the White House.

The United States, France and Britain, along with 13 other council members, voted in favor of a recent U.N. resolution aiming toward an intervention in Syria. The resolution was vetoed by China and Russia.

“Russia and China have tried to protect the Assad regime despite the mass killings, and a major reason is that Russia and China regard the Assad regime as the most anti-American Arab state in the Middle East,” Kuru said.