Beirut: Syrian security forces killed about 30 people on Friday as mass protests erupted calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime, activists said.
It was the highest death toll in weeks stemming from the 7-month-old uprising.
Much of the bloodshed happened after the protests had ended and security forces hunted protesters and activists, according to opposition groups monitoring the demonstrations.
Authorities disrupted telephone and Internet service in restive areas, they said.
Syria's revolt has proved remarkably resilient, with protests erupting every week despite the near-certainty they will face bullets and tear gas. The UN estimates the government crackdown on the protests has killed 3,000 people since March.
The Syrian opposition's two main activist groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordinating Committees, gave figures for the protesters killed on Friday ranging from 29 to 37.
The flashpoints were Homs and Hama in central Syria, where opposition to the regime is strong. Hama is the site of a massacre nearly 30 years ago which has come to symbolize the ruthlessness of the Assad dynasty.
Rami Abdul-Rahman, the head of the observatory, said security forces in Homs were firing machine guns as they chased down protesters and activists. In Hama, there were heavy clashes between the army and gunmen believed to be army defectors.
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