The attack happened in the village of Al Bara in the Edleb region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday, adding that none of the army deserters involved was killed.

The regular army post was completely destroyed, according to the London-based group.

The news is the latest sign of growing unrest within the ranks of the Syrian forces, as outrage grows in Syria and in the West over the regime's bloody crackdown on opposition protests.

Western powers vowed to seek new ways to punish Damascus amid growing outrage after Russia and China blocked a UN resolution condemning Syria for its deadly crackdown on protests.

The vetoes wielded by Beijing and Moscow at the UN Security Council on Saturday handed President Bashar al-Assad's regime a ``licence to kill'', according to the opposition.

The rare double veto also drew international condemnation, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling it a ``travesty'' and vowing to push for new sanctions on Syria.

Russia said Western powers had refused to reach a consensus.