Reports suggest at least seven people have been killed during anti-government demonstrations in Syria, which broke out on Tuesday after worshippers holding morning prayers to mark Eid spilled out into the streets.
Anticipating the unrest, troops had moved in around the mosques where large groups traditionally congregate. In particular they focused on cemeteries, as it is customary to visit the graves of relatives on Eid. This latest incident of state violence follows raids by security forces in several towns and cities on Monday.
Thousands of protestors also took to the streets of Damascus, the first reported demonstrations around the capital, which has yet to witness the protest scenes of Homs and Hama. Protestors are demanding an end to the personal rule of President Bashar al-Assad. The popular uprising has been ongoing for the past five months.
On Monday forces raided Heet, a town bordering Lebanon, residents told the New York Times. “People were running in the fields toward Lebanon trying to escape the gunfire,” said Youssef, a resident on the Lebanese side of the border. “They stormed the village burning houses and crops, and we heard that several people were wounded.”
At the same time, there were reports that dozens of soldiers were deserting their positions near Homs and on the outskirts of Damascus.
The UN says more than 2,200 people have been killed since protests against Syria's president began in March.