Syria forces ‘fire on protesters’

Syrian security forces have opened fire on protesters in the central city of Homs, killing at least three people, activists and witnesses said.

Protests reportedly broke out in several towns and cities, including in Baniyas, Deraa and Qamishli, after Friday prayers.

It is the latest in a wave of revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

At least 850 people have been killed in weeks of demonstrations in the country, human rights groups say.

An eyewitness in Homs told BBC Arabic there was heavy gunfire in the Dier Baalba area, injuring several people.

Meanwhile, the coastal city of Baniyas witnessed one of its largest demonstrations yet, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Demonstrations were also reported in the mostly Kurdish north-eastern town of Qamishli.

Rights organisations said protesters in Baniyas had bared their chests to show they were not armed.

Protests and army crackdowns have also been reported this week in the town of Tal Khalakh, near the Lebanese border, where activists say at least 27 people were killed.

Reports from Syria are hard to verify independently, as foreign journalists are not allowed into the country.

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