Crackdown continues

At least 38 civilians were killed in the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor on Sunday, as security forces backed by tanks launched a fresh crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

A separate attack is also reported to have taken place in Hula, a town in the central province of Homs, killing a further 13 civilians.

"These are preliminary figures. The numbers of casualties are escalating by the hour," Suhair al-Atassi, an activist with the Syrian Revolution Coordinating Union, told Reuters.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was defiant on Sunday, saying the latest violent government crackdown was justified since it was "the duty of state" to confront "outlaws."

"Syria is on the path to reforms," the state news agency SANA reported him saying, "to deal with outlaws who cut off roads, seal towns and terrorize residents is a duty of the state which must defend security and protect the lives of civilians."

International condemnation

The latest attacks came just hours after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon personally appealed to Assad to stop the violence.

"In a phone conversation with President Assad...the Secretary General expressed his strong concern and that of the international community at the mounting violence and death toll in Syria over the past days," the UN press office said.

Ban "urged the president to stop the use of military force against civilians immediately," it added.

Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Damascus early on Monday, calling for the regime to end the bloodshed. "What is happening in Syria is not acceptable for Saudi Arabia," said Saudi head of state, King Abdullah.

International condemnation has also come from Turkey, a former key ally of Syria's.

Turkish patience running out

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would send Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu to Damascus on Tuesday to "pass critical messages" to the Syrian authorities.

In a speech in Istanbul late on Saturday, Erdogan said that Turkey had been "very patient until now."

But Syria has in turn been critical of Turkey's reaction, saying if the Turkish foreign minister is coming with a critical message, "he will hear more critical words on the Turkish stand, which has not so far denounced crimes of brutal killing committed by armed groups against civilians, army personnel and police," SANA quoted presidential advisor Buthaina Shaaban as saying.

Rights groups say Syrian security forces have killed at least 1,600 civilians since protests calling for an end Assad's 11-year rule began in March.

Syrian authorities have expelled most independent journalists, making it difficult to verify the death toll and reports of the fighting.

Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill, Catherine Bolsover (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Kyle James