An attack by armed gunmen in a restive province of northwest Syria has killed a top prosecutor and a judge, according to the state news agency.

A car carrying both men came under fire, killing Idlib state prosecutor Nidal Ghazal, Judge Mohammed Ziadeh and their driver, the SANA news agency reported Sunday.

Military defectors fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime have won control over parts of Idlib, which borders Turkey. The province has also felt the brunt of the government crackdown on the 11-month-old uprising against Assad.

The assassinations came a day after SANA reported that gunmen had shot and killed Jamal al-Bish, a member of the city council in the northern city of Aleppo. The report said al-Bish was killed outside the city, an Assad stronghold that has remained relatively calm since the uprising began.

Rights activists reported at least 14 other people were killed in the country Sunday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Government forces shelled the rebel-held Baba Amr district in the central city of Homs and sent reinforcements to the area, the group said.

Fears the unrest could lead to civil war have prompted authorities in neighbouring Jordan to begin construction on a refugee camp near the Syrian border in case people flee for safety.

Clashes escalate

Violent clashes between defectors and Syrian forces are becoming more common in the north and in central Homs province, as the country creeps closer to civil war.

'Some families of army officers are leaving Damascus and leaving other big cities into their villages, and that is why I'm saying the government is slowly disintegrating.'— Syrian businessman Faisal al-Qudsi

More than 5,400 Syrians had been killed in the uprising by the end of 2011, the United Nations says. However, opposition groups put the the current death toll as high as 7,300.

It is impossible to independently verify the numbers since Syria has barred nearly all foreign journalists and human rights organizations from working in the country.

Much of the violence has involved Syrian forces firing on peaceful protesters, although the conflict has become increasingly militarized in recent months.

The Syrian government says armed "terrorists" are carrying out a foreign conspiracy to destabilize the country. Authorities in Damascus have offered some concessions, including proposing a referendum next week that could in theory allow more political voices to challenge the ruling Baath Party.

But the opposition has demanded that Assad resign, while the regime has failed to ease its attacks on the opposition forces.

Sanctions hurting economy, businessman says

The crackdown on mass street protests has prompted international sanctions against the Syrian regime that have crippled the economy, one of Syria's most prominent businessmen said Sunday.

Faisal al-Qudsi, the son of former Syrian president Nazem al-Qudsi, told the BBC some members of the military are fed up with trying to quash the never-ending displays of defiance and that many businesses can no longer operate amid the violence.

Members of the Free Syrian Army flash victory signs during a patrol in Idlib in northwestern Syria on Saturday. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)

"They are not worried about their business any more," al-Qudsi said. "They're worried about their lives. Some families of army officers are leaving Damascus and leaving other big cities into their villages, and that is why I'm saying the government is slowly disintegrating."

The European Union and the United States have already imposed several rounds of sanctions against Assad and his regime, including a ban on the import of Syrian oil.

Last Thursday, the UN General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing an Arab League plan that calls on Assad to leave office.

Egypt added to the diplomatic pressure on Sunday with an announcement that its Foreign Ministry is withdrawing its ambassador to Syria. Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr made the announcement during a meeting with Ambassador Shukri Ismael, who will stay in Cairo until further notice.

Al-Qudsi predicted the military action that has been countering anti-government protests for nearly a year may only last another six months, and "the minute they stop killing [protesters], millions of people will be on the streets."

He says sanctions have caused oil exports and tourism to collapse, Syria's gross domestic product is down sharply and the country's business community no longer supports Assad.

"Iran is sending quite a lot of cash into Syria every month through Iraq. It is not enough," he said. "They have, of course, the other avenue of printing money, and I don't know if they're doing that, but they need to do that very quickly, and for that reason, the currency has lost 50 per cent of its value," said al-Qudsi, who now chairs a London-based investment banking firm.

With files from The Associated Press