Syrian security forces have opened fire on mourners at mass funerals for pro-democracy protesters killed in the bloodiest day of uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Troops injured at least three people when they fired live rounds at a funeral in the Damascus suburb of Douma, while mourners approaching the southern town of Izra'a were shot at to prevent them from attending another mass funeral, witnesses told Reuters.
One of the witnesses at the Douma funerals told the news agency: "I saw three people falling on the ground, one of them had blood gushing from his mouth. I could not tell whether he was hit in the stomach or the chest."
A second witness said pallbearers abandoned coffins they were carrying and ran for cover when the funeral came under fire.
One witness who had come to Izra'a to attend the burials of at least 12 people shot by security forces on Friday told Reuters: "There was a heavy volley of gunfire in our direction as we approached Izra'a to join the funerals of martyrs."
Across Syria on Saturday, tens of thousands of mourners demanded the "overthrow of the regime" at funerals for about 100 protesters killed by the security forces on Friday.
Mourners at the funeral in Izra'a chanted: "Bashar al-Assad, you traitor. Long live Syria, down with Bashar."
Activists said at least 100 people were killed during Friday's protests – raising the death toll from initial estimates of at least 88 civilian casualties.
Demonstrators were killed across the country, from the port city of Latakia to Homs, Hama, Damascus and the southern village of Izra'a, activists said. Security forces around Damascus and other key cities ignored appeals to eschew violence, opening fire with live rounds and using teargas against several pro-democracy protests, activists and witnesses reported.
Protests have continued despite a string of government concessions earlier in the week, including the lifting of the hated 48-year-old emergency law.
The White House urged Damascus to follow through on promised reforms. US President Barack Obama called on the Syrian government to stop using violence against demonstrators and accused Assad of seeking help from Iran.
"This outrageous use of violence to quell protests must come to an end now," Obama said. "Instead of listening to their own people, President Assad is blaming outsiders while seeking Iranian assistance in repressing Syria's citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by his Iranian allies."
British foreign secretary William Hague condemned the "unacceptable killing of demonstrators" and called on Syrian security forces "to exercise restraint instead of repression". He said the authorities should respect the "people's right to peaceful protest".
David Batty @'The Guardian'
One of the witnesses at the Douma funerals told the news agency: "I saw three people falling on the ground, one of them had blood gushing from his mouth. I could not tell whether he was hit in the stomach or the chest."
A second witness said pallbearers abandoned coffins they were carrying and ran for cover when the funeral came under fire.
One witness who had come to Izra'a to attend the burials of at least 12 people shot by security forces on Friday told Reuters: "There was a heavy volley of gunfire in our direction as we approached Izra'a to join the funerals of martyrs."
Across Syria on Saturday, tens of thousands of mourners demanded the "overthrow of the regime" at funerals for about 100 protesters killed by the security forces on Friday.
Mourners at the funeral in Izra'a chanted: "Bashar al-Assad, you traitor. Long live Syria, down with Bashar."
Activists said at least 100 people were killed during Friday's protests – raising the death toll from initial estimates of at least 88 civilian casualties.
Demonstrators were killed across the country, from the port city of Latakia to Homs, Hama, Damascus and the southern village of Izra'a, activists said. Security forces around Damascus and other key cities ignored appeals to eschew violence, opening fire with live rounds and using teargas against several pro-democracy protests, activists and witnesses reported.
Protests have continued despite a string of government concessions earlier in the week, including the lifting of the hated 48-year-old emergency law.
The White House urged Damascus to follow through on promised reforms. US President Barack Obama called on the Syrian government to stop using violence against demonstrators and accused Assad of seeking help from Iran.
"This outrageous use of violence to quell protests must come to an end now," Obama said. "Instead of listening to their own people, President Assad is blaming outsiders while seeking Iranian assistance in repressing Syria's citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by his Iranian allies."
British foreign secretary William Hague condemned the "unacceptable killing of demonstrators" and called on Syrian security forces "to exercise restraint instead of repression". He said the authorities should respect the "people's right to peaceful protest".
David Batty @'The Guardian'
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