Witnesses: Syrian gunships fire at protestors

Syrian helicopter gunships fired machineguns to disperse a large pro-democracy protest in the town of Maarat al-Numaan on Friday, witnesses said, in the first reported use of air power to quell protests in Syria's uprising.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that helicopters fired at the town after security forces on the ground killed five protesters, but said no killings were reported in the assault by the helicopters.