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Syrian troops fire at protesters after prayers

16 December 2011 20:16 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Syrian security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters after Friday prayers at several locations around the country, while the army sent reinforcements into a southern area where military defectors recently launched deadly attacks on regime troops, APA reports quoting Associated Press.

The Local Coordination Committees and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one person was killed in the shooting in the restive central city of Homs, and a man who was wounded in the southern province of Daraa earlier in the day died of his wounds.

Friday’s protests, which took place nationwide, came a day after Syrian army defectors killed 27 government security personnel in Daraa in apparently coordinated attacks that were among the deadliest by rebel troops so far.

Syria has seen a sharp escalation in armed clashes recently, raising concerns the country of 22 million is headed toward civil war. The U.N. raised its death toll for the Syrian uprising substantially this week, saying more 5,000 people have been killed since the revolt began nine months ago.

The Observatory said more than 200,000 people marched in different neighborhoods of Homs to denounce President Bashar Assad’s regime. The turnout could not be confirmed as Syrian authorities have banned most journalists from covering events on the ground.

The Observatory also reported shooting near a mosque in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour but it was unclear if there were casualties there.

The LCC said anti-government rallies took place after Friday prayers all across Syria â€” from Daraa to the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, in Homs and Hama in the country’s center, and to the north in the city of Aleppo.