27 killed as Syrian security forces fire on protestors

Syrian security forces fired live bullets and tear gas on pro-democracy demonstrations across the country today, killing at least 27 people – including a young boy – as the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian regime defied a deadly security crackdown, witnesses said.

Protesters flooded into the streets after Muslim prayers in at least five major areas across the country, a sign that Mr Assad’s attempts to quell the month-long protests with a deadly crackdown and promises of reform have all but failed.