The Syrian authorities freed on Tuesday 275 prisoners who were "involved" in the popular uprising against President Bashar Assad, state TV reported.

"The authorities have freed 275 prisoners involved in recent incidents, but none of them have blood on their hands," the state broadcaster said.

U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan met top Iranian officials Tuesday before flying to Iraq, as he sought the help of key regional players in shoring up his tattered peace plan for Syria after meeting President Bashar Assad.

Annan underlined Tehran's importance in international efforts to stem the bloodshed, following talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

France on Tuesday condemned Syrian shelling of areas of northern Lebanon and said it backed Lebanese plans to boost its military presence along the Syrian border.

"France condemns the Syrian shelling of Lebanese territory and the repeated violent acts in recent days at the Syrian-Lebanese border," French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told a press conference.

Russia has sent a naval flotilla of six warships led by an anti-submarine destroyer to its naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

The Admiral Chabanenko and three landing craft have left their home port of Severomorsk in the Arctic Circle on their way to the Mediterranean where they will be joined by the Russian patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry as well as an assistance vessel, a military source told the agency.

Russia said Tuesday it wanted to host a new meeting of foreign powers concerning the Syria crisis but stressed that the talks should not decide the fate of President Bashar Assad.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the attempt made in Geneva on June 30 to save international envoy Kofi Annan's tattered peace plan for the crisis needed to be continued with the involvement countries such as Iran.

There can be no transition in Syria until President Bashar Assad falls, the Syrian National Council said in a statement on the eve of a visit to Moscow by the opposition group's chief.

"Our main goal is to continue on the path of the revolution and the demands of the Syrian people," the SNC said on Tuesday, emphasizing that its priority was to "work for the fall of the Assad regime and all its symbols."

Regime forces rained shells on the rebel-held central Syrian town of Rastan as violence killed 13 people across the country on Tuesday, a watchdog said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described the bombardment of Rastan as "violent," while activists on the ground said the situation was "tragic."

President Michel Suleiman will head to Turkey in the upcoming two days to address the case of the 11 kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims in Syria.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Tuesday, Speaker Nabih Berri revealed the information to the families of the abducted men.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is expected to discuss with Lebanese officials this week the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

Burns arrives in Beirut on a two-day visit on Thursday and is scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Najib Miqati, al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora and Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, a high-ranking source told the newspaper.

Heavy shelling rattled the northern border region of Wadi Khaled overnight as gunmen opened fire along the Lebanese-Syrian border at several illegal crossing points, media reports said on Tuesday.

The Lebanese Red Cross announced that the shelling killed 2 Syrian nationals and a Lebanese.