Three protesters killed in Damascus: Activists

Amman: Three young men were shot dead in Damascus when security forces fired live ammunition at pro-democracy demonstrations in one of the most heavily guarded areas of the Syrian capital, opposition activists said on Monday.

The three were killed during two night protests that broke out on Sunday in Kfar Souseh neighbourhood, home to several secret police and intelligence headquarters, after a referendum on a new constitution that was widely boycotted in the area, they said.

“The protests were against the farce of a referendum that the regime has tried to push on the Syrian people,” a statement by activists in the district said.

Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said three youth were also badly injured in the attacks.

“Demonstrations have been spreading in Damascus and in Aleppo and the regime is using all available means to crush them,” said Abdelrahman, speaking from exile in Britain.

There was no comment from Syrian authorities, who tightly restrict media access to the country.

Reuters