At least 6 killed in Syria protests

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 6 (UPI) -- At least six people were killed and 17 injured Friday in clashes between Syrian troops and anti-government protesters, human rights activists said.

Witnesses told The New York Times soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in the city of Hama during a so-called Friday of Defiance march against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

"We answered the call to protest today but the intelligence forces attacked us right away by opening fire on us," one of the demonstrators told the Times by telephone.

Western reporters have been barred from covering the Syrian turmoil.

The government issued a written statement calling on its citizens to avoid taking part in any demonstrations.

Wissam Tarif, head of the human rights group Insan, said the biggest demonstrations were reported in Baniyas and Jassem, a town near the southern city of Daraa, where the uprising broke out in April.

Before Friday's protests, security forces summarily arrested more than 300 people, mostly men between the ages of 18 and 50, human rights groups said.