Syria Forces Kill Six in Government Crackdown, Activists Say

At least six protesters died in Syrian cities in a crackdown by the security forces following rallies against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule that attracted thousands in the past three days, activists said.

One anti-government demonstrator was killed and 13 were wounded in Hama, where tanks and armored vehicles had been deployed at the entrance to the city, north of the capital, Damascus, Ammar Qurabi, head of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, said in a telephone interview from Brussels today. Three died in Maarat al-Numan during raids by the army, part of a response to the protests that has led to the arrest of hundreds of people across the country, he said.