The second round of peace talks between the Syrian government and Western-backed rebels was bogged down quickly yesterday.

A row broke out over who was responsible for escalating violence that has killed hundreds in the past few days and disrupted aid for trapped civilians and evacuation efforts.

UN negotiator Lakhdar Brahimi was once again forced into separate closed-door meetings in Geneva with delegations from the government and Syrian National Coalition to try to set an agenda for the coming week.

The first face-to-face meetings adjourned 10 days ago having achieved little beyond getting the warring sides into the same room.

But this time the two appeared even farther apart, with no immediate plans to even sit at the same table.

“The negotiations cannot continue while the regime is stepping up its violence against the Syrian people,” coalition spokesman Louay Safi told reporters following a 90-minute meeting with Mr Brahimi.

Mr Safi insisted the aim was to agree on a transitional governing body that would replace President Bashar al-Assad.

The government delegation, however, wants to focus on halting the terrorism of the rebels fighting to topple the government.

Increased violence on the ground has provided renewed opportunity for both sides to trade accusations.

The single point of hope yesterday was to secure an extension of the truce in rebel-held parts of Homs to allow the evacuation of hundreds of trapped civilians and the entry of humanitarian aid convoys.

Efforts on Saturday were disrupted as lorries carrying supplies into Homs came under heavy fire. Both sides have traded accusations over who was responsible.

The aid effort resumed on Sunday, with more than 600 people successfully evacuated under fire.

An official with the Syrian Red Crescent said the aid agency is trying to get the ceasefire extended to deliver more aid and evacuate more people from the besieged city.

Syrian Red Crescent head of operations Khaled Erksoussi said there were still 200 families, mostly Christians, who want to leave rebel-held districts in central Homs.

They had been unable to reach the designated exit point from the city during the three-day ceasefire that expired early yesterday.