Syrian forces kill three civilians

Syrian forces killed three civilians in military operations in central and northwestern regions on Wednesday, residents said, following an upsurge of attacks on the army by defectors sheltering in rural areas.

The killings occurred in Jabal al-Zawiya, rugged terrain near Turkey, where defectors have been taking refuge in village hideouts, and in the province of Homs, where army buses and checkpoints are being attacked more and more often, residents and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Reuters)