Dozens killed in fresh Syria violence

“Armed groups opened fire on citizens, policemen and security forces in Daraa, 101 km south of Damascus, on Friday, martyring 19 policemen and security forces in addition to several civilians,” state SANA news agency quoted an official source at the Interior Ministry as saying on Friday.

The source added that at least 75 security personnel were also injured, “along with many civilians by the armed groups’ gunfire, stressing the existence of documented evidence about these assaults.”

The Daraa attacks occurred as Muslim worshipers, who had attended Friday prayers, were leaving al-Omari Mosque and heading downtown, the source said.

State TV also released footage showing masked gunmen open fire on mass gatherings.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Homs, where “a number of them burned police cars and fired on policemen and security forces while a number of masked men on motorcycles opened fire randomly on citizens, causing injuries,” SANA said.

Anti-government protests have been held in several Syrian cities over the past weeks. The demonstrators are demanding governmental reform. Dozens of people have been killed during the recent protests.

The opposition accuses security forces of being behind the killings. But the government denies the allegation and blames armed gangs and agitators of foreign powers, especially Israel, for the unrest and the bloodshed.