Activists report 6 people killed in Syria anti-government protests

[News_Editor]

Activists report 6 people killed in Syria anti-government protests

2011-07-23 01:32:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

DAMASCUS (BNO NEWS) -- At least six protesters were killed on Friday as anti-government demonstrators continued across Syria, according to activist reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least six people were killed and the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCC) reported at least five deaths, according to CNN. The deaths occurred in the cities of Homs and Aleppo in the west, the Damascus suburbs and Idlib province in the northwest.

Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said people participated in protests across the country, a weekly event, in Hama in the west, Deir Ezzor in the northeast, and Binnish in the northwest. A LCC representative said the army was heavily deployed in protest hotspots in Homs.

There was a heavy security presence in various places across the country, while military forces were searching cars and checking identities at checkpoints in some Damascus areas. Security forces also kept masses from marching in the streets.

There were also reports that Friday prayers were prevented in some mosques. For months, demonstrators have marched against the government after Friday prayers.

On Thursday, Syrian government forces killed about 10 people, according to the LCC, an affiliation of groups that organizes and reports on protests in Syria.

Human Rights Watch said Syrian security forces have intensified their campaign of mass arrests in cities that have had anti-government protests. It said that it is estimated that security forces have arrested more than 2,000 anti-government protesters, medical professionals and people alleged to have given information to international news media and human rights organizations.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said last Friday after sixteen people were killed that the death toll for civilians since the unrest began rose to 1,440, with an additional 353 deaths among army and security personnel.

In mid-March, pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria and have continued across the country, which has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963. Protesters are demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, who took over his father in 2000.

Assad previously said that the recent events in the country are a conspiracy against national unity. The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that the violent acts have been instigated by terrorists who use military uniforms and weaponry to pose as soldiers while attacking citizens.

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