Syrian Forces Shoot Dead 3 in Border Town

Syrian troops shot dead three people and wounded several others on Saturday in the western border town of Tall Kalakh, a witness told Agence France Presse.

"The security forces, who had been encircling Tall Kalakh since the morning, fired machine guns. At least three people were killed and several were wounded," the witness said.

The deaths came a day after thousands of people took to the streets following the main weekly Muslim prayers for anti-regime protests in the town, which lies about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Damascus.

Five people were shot dead in Syria on Friday by security forces despite an order by embattled President Bashar Assad for them not to open fire on demonstrators, according to a rights activist.