Syrians pour into Lebanon after Friday protest killings

Shot people taken to hospital across border after crackdown on demonstrations in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo

Hundreds of Syrians have fled to Lebanon after 20 people were killed in the biggest day of protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

Up to 1,000 Syrians escaped through the al-Qusair crossing in the region of Akkar near Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon, according to a Lebanese security official.

At least six of those who crossed the border had gunshot wounds and were admitted to hospital in Akkar, the official said.

Teargas and live bullets were fired at demonstrators leaving Friday prayers in several areas of the capital Damascus and elsewhere. Syrian state TV blamed unidentified gunmen for some deaths.

Thousands of people are reported to have turned out in the Damascus suburb of Irbin, the central city of Homs, and, more unusually, in Aleppo, Syria's second city, which has been largely peaceful so far.

The renewed protests came after President Assad offered dialogue and reform on Monday.

The scale and geographical spread of the latest protests dubbed "the Friday of the end of legitimacy" appeared to underline Assad's failure to dampen opposition fervour.

In an address to the nation on Monday his third since the start of the anti-regime demonstrations he spoke of dialogue and reform, but democracy activists dismissed his offers as cosmetic or insufficient.

Opposition leaders in Damascus are reported to be planning a public meeting next week to discuss strategy.


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