Syrian troops stormed a central town and a north-western region in search of opponents of the government as pressure on Damascus intensified to end an eight-month crisis that has left thousands of people dead, activists said.

Clashes between Syrian troops and army defectors in the country’s north west killed four people today, while gunmen shot dead a political activist in the latest in a wave of targeted killings in a rebellious central city, activists said.

Syrian troops killed at least 17 people today in raids on anti-government protesters, activists said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has sacked the governor of a key central city in the latest attempt to appease an uprising against his authoritarian rule.

Nineteen people have been reported killed as Syrian army forces spread through a restive mountainous area near the Turkish border.

Syrian army troops and tanks moved into a restive north western city from two sides today, extending the crackdown on a region that is historically hostile the Damascus regime.