DAMASCUS (AFP) – Syrian forces backed by helicopters killed dozens of pro-democracy protesters, as the United States stepped up pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. The latest deaths came as security forces launched a long-feared crackdown in the northwest flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur near the border with Turkey. Protesters poured on to the streets of towns and cities across the country after the weekly Muslim main prayers, many chanting slogans against Assad and in support of Jisr al-Shughur residents. Security forces shot dead at least 25 anti-regime protesters, including 11 in the northwest, while in Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province, they fired on a large crowd…
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Dozens killed in Syria as US, Turkey slam regime