Armed groups kill four protestors across Syria: state TV

Hundreds of anti-government protestors on Friday poured into the streets across Syria, calling for freedom and reform, while armed groups shot indiscriminately at the demonstrators, killing at least four people, including an officer, the state TV reported.

Armed men cut off a road and opened fire in al Qadam neighborhood near Damascus, killing one civilian and wounding dozens, the TV said, adding that another armed men opened fire on civilians and police forces in the central province of Homs, killing one civilian and an officer.

The TV, however, did not mention where the fourth person was killed.

In a related development, the state television said that hundreds of pro-government demonstrators on Friday hit the streets in the northern province of Halab, in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, denying what was broadcasted on satellite TV stations about anti-government protests in Halab.

However, the Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV quoted activists as reporting that at least nine people were killed nationwide, as thousands of anti-government protestors streamed into the streets Friday after Muslims' noon prayers in several towns and cities across Syria, including Halab, Homs, Hama, Daraa, Der al-Zour, and other cities, calling for freedom and the downfall of the regime.

Syrian government said 1,200 members of security forces and army personnel have died since the eruption of protests in mid March, including 120 in north Syria, meanwhile, according to activists, more than 1,400 civilians have died and some 10,000 have been detained during the government's alleged crackdown on protests.

The unrest in Syria has sparked international condemnation for the alleged bloody crackdown on protestors by Syrian security forces. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier she was "disheartened" by reports of continued crackdown on protesters in Syria and warned the Syrian government is running out of time.

Syria has been in unrest since mid March when anti-government protests broke out in the southern province of Daraa and spread to other Syrian cities. Syria blamed the unrest on "armed groups and foreign conspiracy" and stressed that it would track down gunmen who have intimidated people and damaged public and private properties.

The government said that hundreds of security agents and policemen were killed by gunmen since the eruption of protests in the country in mid March. Syrian oppositions, however, accused the Syrian security forces of harshly cracking down the protests.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

English.news.cn   2011-07-02 02:46:34 FeedbackPrintRSS
DAMASCUS, July 1 (Xinhua)