Syria: 3 killed in crackdown on Homs
Damascus regime's brutal suppression of anti-regime protests continues as thousands flee battered Syrian cities
At least three people were killed and several others injured Saturday at Tall Kalakh near Homs in central Syria, by gunfire, police said.
Eyewitnesses said the area was surrounded by Damascus' security forces, who used automatic weapons on the protesters.
Rights activists say the deaths took place in the cities of Damascus, Homs and Daraa, after security forces and snipers opened fire on protesters. Witnesses say security forces used clubs and tear gas to quash protests elsewhere in the country.
Although thousands of people took part in Friday's rallies, witnesses say the crowds were generally smaller than in previous protests – a possible indication that President Bashar Assad's military crackdown is having an impact on demonstrations.
Assad had ordered tanks and thousands of troops into cities and towns across the country ahead of the protests.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrians crossed into Lebanon on Saturday, as the uprising against Assad's regime entered its eighth week, Lebanese security officials said.
The officials said cracks of gunfire coming from the western Syrian town of Talkalakh could be heard on the Lebanese side of the border since morning hours.
More than 5,000 Syrians have fled the area in the past weeks, with more than 500 people crossing the border on Saturday, the officials said.
The shooting in Talkalakh comes a day after Syrian security forces opened fire on thousands of protesters at different rallies across the country, killing at least six people.
Human rights groups say more than 775 people have been killed since the start of the protest movement in Syria in mid-March.
AP, AFP and Reuters contributed to this report
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