Syrian forces 'fire on Homs protesters'

Syrian security forces have killed at least nine people in Homs, including an 11-year-old boy, in the latest armed crackdown on protesters, according to three separate witnesses, who spoke to Al Jazeera. Two boys, named by activists as Aiham al-Ahmad, 11, and 16-year-old Ahmad Bakr were killed when police officers opened fire on Friday, after their vehicle crashed into a wall and was attacked by protesters, according to a witness, who saw the boys shot. "The four secret police officers opened fire on the protesters with machine guns," one witness said. The attack took place after officers drove police cars into a crowd of some 2,000 demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them, a second witness said. After hitting several protesters with the vehicles, one of the cars crashed into a wall, prompting the officers to jump out and open fire. Four other protesters, two of them identified by activists as Raqan Mishrif and Mustapha Ali al-Zakrit, were also killed, while at least seven others were wounded. Al Jazeera is unable to verify the reports because of restrictions on reporting imposed by Syria's government. In a separate incident, three residents were killed when security forces attempted to storm the hospital in the al-Wa'r neighbourhood of Homs, according to a witness. Locals responded by forming a human chain around the hospital in an attempt to prevent the police arresting wounded protesters inside, as they have previously done after protesters have been shot. The witness said some locals had shot at the police using personal handguns.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies