Two women and two children were shot dead by security forces on Monday as troops intensified their operations in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour for the second day, activists said, dpa reported.
They added that some 1,500 people had been arrested in the central city of Hama.
One woman and two of her children were shot dead by security forces, while they were looking for shelter, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted activists in Deir al-Zour as saying.
The three were trying to escape a crackdown in the city, where a military assault left at least 50 dead on Sunday.
Another woman was killed Monday in the western neighbourhood of al-Joura, where 34 people were arrested.
Witnesses told the group that security burnt bicycles residents use to move around the area.
In Hama, around 1,500 people were arrested in a massive random arrest operation in al-Garagma neighbourhood.
An activist said that security forces were announcing names through loudspeakers, and if that person did not surrender, troops stormed his house and arrested all the men inside.
Dozens more were arrested in the northern province of Idlib when tanks and armoured vehicles stormed the town of Maaret al-Naaman.
More than 1,650 people and around 390 security personnel have been killed since protests calling for President Bashar al-Assad to leave office began in mid-March, according to local human rights advocates.
These reports cannot be independently verified, as the Syrian authorities have barred most foreign media and international human rights groups from the country.
Al-Assad Sunday vowed to continue a crackdown on what he described as outlaws, as international pressure mounts against his government.
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