Syrian security forces shot dead at least 48 people when tens of thousands of protesters rallied for a “day of rage” after Friday prayers, defying warnings of a harsh crackdown, activists said, as the US blocked assets of the powerful brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, several other officials and of the country’s intelligence services and Revolutionary Guard. Protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime took place in most major centres around Syria, witnesses said, in a repeat of pro-democracy rallies that have become the norm after weekly Muslim prayers. In the protest epicentre of Daraa, military officials said four soldiers were killed and two captured by “armed terrorists”, though a rights activist said the dead men had been killed defending protesters. At least 48 people were shot dead by security services in Daraa, Homs and Latakia, according to rights activists.
Dissidents say security forces using live rounds and tear gas have killed more than 450 people since the Syrian protests erupted in mid-March. Friday’s rallies come as the UN Human Rights Council held a special session on Syria in Geneva and the European Union met in Brussels to consider a wide range of sanctions against Damascus. The call for mass demonstrations was made on Facebook page, Syrian Revolution 2011, a motor of the protests in which demonstrators inspired by uprisings across the Arab world are seeking greater freedoms.