Committee of the Martyrs

Syrian security forces rounded up thousands of men as they went house to house in a bid to crush an anti-regime protest movement in the coastal city of Banias, as shots rang out in a Damascus suburb surrounded by troops, activists said.

A 12-year-old boy was among several people killed Sunday as Syrian troops hunted down opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in two restive cities, activists said, despite world anger over the bloody crackdown.

Syrian forces rained gunfire on Banias as they pushed ahead with an assault on the restive port, killing six people, activists said, as President Bashar al-Assad's opponents called for elections to end the crisis.

Syrian forces rained gunfire on Banias Saturday as they pushed ahead with an assault on the restive port, killing six people, activists said, as President Bashar al-Assad's opponents called for elections to end the crisis.

Hundreds of dissidents were arrested across Syria on Sunday, including in the flashpoint town of Daraa and a besieged Damascus suburb, after dozens were killed in weekend protests, activists said.

Troops and snipers killed six civilians on Saturday in the flashpoint Syrian city of Daraa, activists said, as people buried scores of people killed in a "day of rage" on Friday.

Security forces shot dead four people and made arrests across Syria on Sunday, as funerals were held for protesters and mourners killed in a bloody crackdown which activists said cost 120 lives.