Gunships fire on protestors

SYRIAN helicopter gunships fired machine guns to disperse a large pro-democracy protest in the town of Maarat al-Numaan, witnesses said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that helicopters fired at the town after security forces on the ground killed five protesters, but said no killings were reported in the helicopter assault.

State television earlier said well-armed “terrorist groups” had burned police buildings and killed security force members in Maarat al-Numaan.