LONDON - Britain's foreign secretary says there is no prospect of international military intervention in Syria, despite an assault by the regime on protest strongholds that left scores of people dead.

William Hague says there should be tougher sanctions against President Bashar Assad's government, but military action is "not a remote possibility."

Hague told the BBC on Monday that sanctions had to come not just from Western nations but also from Arab countries and regional powers such as Turkey.

Syrian troops and tanks attacked several towns and cities Sunday. Estimates of the death toll, which were impossible to verify, ranged from around 75 people to nearly 140

Hague said the attacks were "all the more shocking" on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan.