A Syrian human rights group says a key military unit loyal to President Bashar Assad is running secret prisons holding hundreds of suspected regime opponents.

Syrian security forces killed at least 20 protesters today despite promises by President Bashar Assad that the military operations against the five-month-old uprising are over.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Syrian forces’ crackdown on protesters as “savagery” and suggested the violence could force Turkey to back any UN Security Council resolutions against the country.

THE UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution last night demanding Syria's full co-operation with a UN investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister and warned of possible "further action" if it doesn't.