(Creative Commons)

Explosions and gunfire could be heard in the sealed off city where the revolt began five weeks ago, witnesses said.

"Snipers are on top of all the buildings in Daraa and there are lots of bodies on the streets," a man speaking on the condition of anonymity told Al Jazeera in a phone interview. "They were left on the street for three days and we couldn't remove them."

More than 30 people have been killed in the city since troops first arrived on Monday, said Syrian rights groups.

Protesters are unhappy with the rule of long-time President Bashar al-Assad, demanding he step down.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has spoken out against the violence.

"I condemn utterly the continuing violence against the peaceful demonstrators, most particularly the use of tanks and live fire that have killed and injured hundreds of people," he said.

The U.N. began considering a statement Tuesday to formally condemn the violence, and discussion of the statment was expected to continue through Wednesday.

Germany and France have reportedly put pressure on the European Union to sanction Syria.

"We want to find an answer to these serious human-rights abuses at the European level," Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief spokesman Steffen Seibert said. "Whether sanctions against Syrian leaders are possible will be reviewed. We would strongly support such sanctions."

Syrian ambassadors had been called to meet with EU officials to make them aware of the internaitonal communities displeasure with the government's actions.

The Wall Street Journal has more on the EU's possible actions:

A spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday the 27-nation bloc was "considering all options" for responding to the situation in Syria. The EU is one of the international institutions "working together to exert pressure" on Syria's regime, said Michael Mann, Ms. Ashton's spokesman.

Mr. Mann wouldn't give details on what action the EU would take nor whether this would include "potential sanctions."

Member-state ambassadors to the EU will meet Friday morning to discuss the situation in Syria. Mr. Ann said action could be taken "very quickly" if needed.

Watch an Al Jazeera report below on the situation in Syria.