Twenty-eight Syrian policemen have died in attacks in the north-western town of Jisr al-Shughour, state TV reports.
Most of the dead were said to have been killed in an ambush “by armed gangs”, said the report.
The news follows a weekend of unrest in the town, as troops crack down on anti-government protests that have swept the country.
At least 35 people, including police, were killed there on Sunday, unconfirmed reports say.
Foreign media are greatly restricted in Syria and the details cannot be independently verified.
Protests calling for President Bashar al-Assad to resign – inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt – have rocked Syria for several months.
They began in mid-March in the southern town of Deraa and have spread to other towns and cities.
State TV said 20 police were killed on Monday in an ambush by gangs armed with light weapons and grenades.
The police had been “on their way to rescue citizens being terrorised” by the gangs in Jisr al-Shughour, it said.
Eight other officers were reported to have been killed in a bomb attack on a post office.
Mr Assad, whose family has been in power for four decades, has promised to introduce reforms, but his opponents and are demanding he stand down.
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