Latakia has seen many anti-government protests in the past six months
Activists say 27 people have died and that residents trying
to flee the Ramel district, including women and children, have been
fired on by troops.
The government says it is tackling armed terrorist gangs.
More than 1,700 people have reportedly died in the six-month uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
'Shooting is intense'
The Ramel quarter and neighbouring areas are said to be under
constant heavy gunfire as tanks and troops move through the streets.
The assault began on Saturday, a day after mass anti-government protests in the city.
One resident of Ramel told Associated Press news agency: "We
are being targeted from the ground and the sea. The shooting is intense.
We cannot go out. They are raiding and breaking into people's homes."
He said that at least three gunboats were taking part and mosques had been targeted.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one young child had been killed.
State television denied any shelling had happened.
It said the security forces were fighting "armed terrorist gangs" who had set up barricades and were shooting from rooftops.
The government said three members of the security forces were killed and 40 wounded in clashes.
Activists deny that their movement is armed but said at least
one officer and a number of soldiers had defected to join the uprising.
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The BBC's Jim Muir: "It's the first time, for a long time, that they've used gunboats"
International journalists face severe restrictions in operating in Syria, and it is hard to verify reports.
Latakia has seen many anti-government protests in the past six months.
Syria has come under increased diplomatic pressure in the past week to stop its crackdown on the dissent.
The US has imposed sanctions on Damascus and has said these could be increased, while calling on other countries to follow.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have all recalled their
ambassadors, while Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has
described the methods used by the Syrian security forces as
"unacceptable".
Mr Assad has reiterated promises of political reform, while
remaining adamant his government would continue to pursue the "terrorist
groups" he has blamed for the unrest.
Protests have been targeted in Homs, Hama, Damascus, Deir
al-Zour in the east, Deraa in the south and Aleppo and Idlib near
Turkey's border.
A doctor in Hama told the BBC that medical services there had
been severely affected by recent government attacks. He said two
hospitals were closed and one had been stormed by troops, injuring many
of the medical staff.
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