At least 12 people were killed in two Syrian cities Friday, activists said, when demonstrators took to the streets in anti-government protests in response to calls for nation-wide rallies. Independent verification of the toll is difficult, as foreign journalists are either barred from Syria, or largely confined to Damsacus.
But there was an initial report of 10 people killed in the southern city of Daraa and two in the Damascus suburb of Douma. "All by sniper fire," a Syrian activist, who asked to be identified by the name of Hadi, told the German Press Agency dpa by telephone. "Most of the dead were shot in their heads and soon videos will be posted on Facebook to show the atrocities this regime is using against the protesters," he said.
State media, however, said that normal life and calm returned to several provinces, and that no clashes took place in the country. "While a number of mosque-goers went out from mosques in Daraa and Latakia chanting slogans commemorating martyrs and calling for accelerated reforms, no clashes occurred between security forces and these crowds," the official SANA news agency reported.
Anti-government protesters had earlier taken to the streets across Syria, whilst police officers were seen in full force deploying around mosques across Syria, a witness told dpa. Security forces also blocked all routes into Daraa, where at least 61 protesters were killed in March, with snipers heavily deployed on the roofs of buildings.
The few journalists allowed to work in Syria have been asked to stay in Damascus, making confirming exact numbers on the demonstrations difficult. In the capital, protesters were prevented from leaving the Al-Rifai Mosque in the Kafr Sousa neighbourhood, with all roads leading to the area were closed.
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