Syrian Forces Crack Down On Protesters In Banias

Activists say that Syrian security forces swept into the coastal city of Banias today.

Reuters quotes protest leader Anas al-Shughri as saying that security forces "moved into the main market area. The army has sealed the northern entrance and security forces [sealed] the south."

The International Red Cross has appealed for access to the injured and arrested, especially in Deraa.

Last week, the authorities sent tanks and soldiers into the southern city of Deraa, where the antigovernment uprising broke out on March 18.

Activists said arrests continued across Syria today.

Speaking from Egypt, Ammar Qurabi, head of the National Organization of Human Rights in Syria, said more than 1,000 people have been arrested in the latest wave of detentions.

compiled from agency reports