WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Saturday accused the Syrian regime of showing a "disdain for human life and dignity" after the massacre of hundreds of civilians in the flashpoint city of Homs.

"Thirty years after his father massacred tens of thousands of innocent Syrian men, women, and children in Hama, Bashar al Assad has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity," Obama said in a statement.

The statement added, "Yesterday [Friday] the Syrian government murdered hundreds of Syrian citizens, including women and children, in Homs through shelling and other indiscriminate violence, and Syrian forces continue to prevent hundreds of injured civilians from seeking medical help."