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Syrian forces fire on protesters; 8 killed

28 May 2011 00:34 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Syrian security forces fired on anti-government protesters in several southern towns Friday, killing at least eight people, organizers said, APA reports quoting CNN.
Bullets flew in the early morning hours as hundreds took to the streets in Dael to chant for support of the military, separate from the security forces, said the witness, who refused to be named for fear of his safety.
A curfew was enforced until 6 a.m. and protesters at first were not allowed to pick up the bodies of their fallen, the witness said.
"They left our martyrs on the street and we couldn’t evacuate them. Then they cut the power on the city ...," he said. "We went out and buried our martyrs -- the military still there, but the security forces gone. But they will be back again."
Four people were killed there, according to protest organizers, known as the local coordination committees of Syria. Three were killed in the suburbs of Damascus, and one death was reported in Al Zabadani.
CNN has not been granted access into Syria and is unable to independently verify witness accounts.
Since March, Syria has been torn by street protests against political repression and a fierce security crackdown against demonstrators.
The government’s harsh actions toward marchers and its thousands of mass arrests have drawn widespread criticism.
Roughly 830 people have been killed in the protests, according to the Syrian Human Rights Information Link.
That number does not include security personnel, many of whom have been killed in attacks by "armed groups," according to the Syrian government.
Protesters have set up local coordination committees across Syria to organize the demonstrations, typically on Fridays, though they have been met with brute force on a regular basis.
Every week, the demonstrations have particular themes. May 20 was "Freedom" Friday in honor of the Syrian Kurdish protesters. This week’s protests are themed around "Homeland Protector," in support of Syrian troops.
An e-mail from the coordination committees to participants says protesters will carry flowers for the soldiers and chant for the soldiers "to stand with them and support them."
"The protesters demand to their army that they should follow the lead of the Tunisian and Egyptian armies and defend the people against a group of mercenaries fighting for the regime."
The memo also warns against an even harsher response from security forces: "Because landlines and Internet are not working in many places, we are worried that the government repression of the demonstrations today may be severe. It will be more difficult than usual to deliver news out of Syria."
The United States has imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials. This month, U.S. President Barack Obama singled out Syria for criticism during a speech on the Middle East.
The clashes have spurred people to flee to other countries, such as Turkey and Lebanon.