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Syria death toll rises as threats of force become more explicity

At least three killed and many more wounded in shootings in port city of Banias amid reports army was moving in

Human rights groups have warned over the rising death toll in Syria as security forces moved to quell a growing and sustained series of protests in cities across the country.

At least three people were shot dead and scores more wounded in shootings in the port city of Banias on Sunday amid reports that the army, already deployed in Deraa and Latakia, was being deployed.

Human rights groups named Ayman Soliman, Nizar Higazy and Muhammad al-Dayegh as those killed after Sunday prayers, while a further person was in a critical condition after being shot during earlier unrest the same day.

The fresh violence came as Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, said in a statement that the country was "on course to comprehensive reform".

But protesters rejected the claims, pointing to an apparent warning by the government of further violence issued amid Friday's protests, the largest and most deadly yet.

A statement carried by the state news agency Sana said: "There is no more room for leniency or tolerance" in "preserving security of the country and protecting the general order".

This would be done "according to the law which specified the conditions for using weapons". Up until now the government has not admitted to using force, blaming the crackdown on outsiders.

As night fell on Sunday, Banias, which has a major oil refinery, was cordoned off; mourners took to the streets in Douma; and a sit-in was going on in Deraa.

The National Organisation for Human Rights said 37 people were killed across Syria on Friday, including 27 in Deraa, three in Homs, three in Harasta and one in Douma, bringing the total death toll to more than 200 since 18 March.

On Saturday there were reports of violent clashes between mourners and security forces. One witness in Deraa told the Guardian that security forces had been "shooting randomly" as mass funerals went on. It was not clear whether anyone died in those clashes, but activists say they are increasingly concerned that there will be a major crackdown this week.

There are also concerns over access to medical care being blocked amid interruptions to communications in parts of Banias, Latakia and Deraa.

"Pharmacists in Banias are being told by security to shut early and to report those who purchase goods to treat the injured," said Wissam Tarif, a local human rights monitor. "We are also worried about the government's intentions in Deraa."

A nationwide violent crackdown by security forces has been complicated in Banias and Latakia by reports of involvement by the shabiha, a violent group with links to the ruling Assad family. But the government has denied the group's involvement, blaming unrest on "spiteful individuals, outsiders and those who were compelled by known foreign parties".

On Saturday Barack Obama condemned Friday's crackdown as "abhorrent". But activists and protesters have grown increasingly frustrated by a muted international response which has seen regional countries rally to Assad's side.

A cycle of violence may now have taken hold which would escalate if the government refuses to meet protesters' demands, said Ayman Abdel Nour, a Syrian dissident living in Dubai. But he added: "We are still not seeing enough people from all governorates and segments of society coming out to allow them to tip the balance."

Assad has attempted to keep protest numbers down by issuing concessions to appease specific groups such as Kurds and conservative Muslims. But he has failed to put an end to emergency law or release political prisoners – two of the protesters' demands. Many people in Damascus, which has been calm, have expressed anxiety and even anger at the continued unrest as a threat to stability.

But there are small signs of growing unhappiness among formerly loyalists. An editor at the state-run newspaper Tishreen, Samira Masalma, was sacked after she criticised the shootings on al-Jazeera television.

There have also been reports of some army and security forces refusing to shoot at protesters.

The Guardian could not independently verify these reports.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk(...)oldiers-shot-protest

Witnesses claim soldiers who disobeyed orders in Banias were shot by security services as crackdown on protests intensifies

Syrian soldiers have been shot by security forces after refusing to fire on protesters, witnesses said, as a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations intensified.

Witnesses told al-Jazeera and the BBC that some soldiers had refused to shoot after the army moved into Banias in the wake of intense protests on Friday.

Human rights monitors named Mourad Hejjo, a conscript from Madaya village, as one of those shot by security snipers. "His family and town are saying he refused to shoot at his people," said Wassim Tarif, a local human rights monitor.

Footage on YouTube shows an injured soldier saying he was shot in the back by security forces, while another video shows the funeral of Muhammad Awad Qunbar, who sources said was killed for refusing to fire on protesters. Signs of defections will be worrying to Syria's regime. State media reported a different version of events, claiming nine soldiers had been killed in an ambush by an armed group in Banias.

Activists said not all soldiers reported dead or injured were shot after refusing to fire. "We are investigating reports that some people have personal weapons and used them in self-defence," said Tarif.

The reports came as a leading Syrian opposition figure said pro-government gunmen had attacked two villages close to Banias, 25 miles south of Latakia, which has become the latest focus of violence since protests on Friday. Haitham al-Maleh told AP attackers were using automatic rifles in Bayda and Beit Jnad.

Human rights organisations said at least five protesters in Banias had been killed since Sunday including one on Tuesday. In Bayda witnesses reported that security thugs had beaten up men in the central square, and rights groups said hundreds of people had been arrested, including students who took part in an unprecedented rally at Damascus University on Monday.

Violence in the port cities of Banias and Latakia has become increasingly messy as locals report the involvement of pro-government thugs and private militias. One witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "shabiha" (pro-government thugs) had attacked in cars decorated with photos of the president, Bashar al-Assad, on Sunday. Residents of Banias said there was a shortage of bread, and electricity and communications were intermittent.

Syria's leading pro-democracy group, the Damascus Declaration, urged the Arab League to impose sanctions on the regime and said the death toll from more than three weeks of unrest had topped 200.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Assad's authoritarian rule. Assad blames the violence on armed gangs and has vowed to crush unrest. He has made a series of overtures to appease anger, including sacking officials and granting Syrian nationality to thousands of Kurds, a long-ostracised minority. But the gestures have failed to satisfy protesters, who demand political freedoms and an end to the decades-old emergency laws that allow the regime to arrest people without charge.

On Tuesday Human Rights Watch condemned security forces for barring access to medical care. UK citizens were warned against "all but essential" travel to Syria and all travel to Banias, where residents are now holding a three-day strike.

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