Syrian Clashes Leave at Least 18 Protesters Dead, Activists Say

Syrian activists said at least 18 protesters have died in clashes in the three days since President Bashar al-Assad ordered the Cabinet to make changes aimed at calming dissent. The government blamed terrorists for the violence, saying a general and three relatives were killed.

Authorities moved to break up more than 20,000 activists holding a sit-in overnight in a square in Homs to demand the release of detainees and the departure of security forces from the city, Syria’s third-largest. Gunfire was heard near the site, and there were at least 10 casualties, an activist, Omar Adalbi, told Al Jazeera. Ammar Qurabi, head of Syria’s National Organization for Human Rights, said there were four casualties, including at least one death, when police broke up the sit-in.