Libya's new government is sending arms to Syrian rebels trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad as the Arab League approved an economic embargo on his government for killing protesters.

A Libyan source, who requested not to be named, told The Independent that the weapons will be sent to the Syrian National Council (SNC), Syria's main opposition movement, within a few weeks as agreed during its secret meeting with Libyan authorities in Istanbul, Turkey last month.

The statement was supported by Wisam Taris, a human rights campaigner with links to the SNC.

Libya is the only country that recognizes the SNC as the legitimate government in Syria. Turkey, a non-AL member, indirectly supports Syrian uprising by providing shelter to some 7,000 Syrian activists.

As this developed, the Arab League (AL) voted to freeze assets and investments of Assad during a meeting in Cairo. The AL also decided to stop transactions with Syria's central bank, funding of AL projects in Syria, travel of Syrian officials to Arab countries and flights of Syrian airlines to AL countries, according to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.

The sanctions were imposed after Syria refused to allow 500 Arab League observers into Syria to see the situation there.
Syria condemned the sanctions and said it betrayed Arab solidarity.

The violent crackdown against anti-Assad protesters continued on Sunday with activists reporting 11 civilian deaths nationwide. Six were killed in Homs.

The Syrian military was not without casualties as six air force pilots were ambushed by rebels near Homs on Saturday.