SYRIAN government troops backed by tanks yesterday attacked two central towns that have seen intense protests against President Bashar Assad’s regime, while security forces opened fire at demonstrators in several parts of the country causing casualties, activists said.

The Syrian Security forces crackdown on protesters in different parts of the country left at least 44 people dead yesterday, making it one of the deadliest days since an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began two months ago, a rights group said today.

Syrian forces kept up a relentless campaign against the country's two-month uprising, using tanks to shell a besieged border town as President Barack Obama called on Syria's president to lead his country to democracy or "get out of the way".

At least eight people have died in clashes in a border town that is the latest place targeted by the Syrian regime’s crackdown, a leading activist has said.

Syria’s president has said his security forces made mistakes during the uprising against his regime, blaming poorly-trained police officers for a crackdown that has killed more than 850 people in two months.