Mass demonstration in Damascus after security assault on mosque

A mass demonstration was expected to take place in Damascus on Saturday, hours after security forces stormed a mosque in the Syrian capital, DPA reported.

The protesters were arriving from various parts of Damascus and planned to converge on Al Abasyeen Square in the city centre, activists said.

One person was killed and an unspecified number injured in the assault on the mosque in the suburb of Kafr Soussa, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria (LCCS).

The opposition group added that the security forces opened fired and used tear gas to disperse those attending dawn prayers.

Activists said security forces had killed at least seven civilians in the restive cities of Deir al-Zour, Latakia and Homs overnight.

Five people were killed in north-eastern Deir al-Zour when security forces fired on a pro-democracy protest, LCCS member Abu Bakr told broadcaster Al Jazeera.

A Syrian activist based in Lebanon said security forces imposed a curfew in Abu Kamal near the border with Iraq to prevent people from going to mosques for special Ramadan prayers.

"The mission of the security forces yesterday (Friday) was to crack down on protesters who were praying overnight in various mosques," activist Omar Idlibi said.

He added that one person was killed in the Al-Ramel al-Janoubi neighbourhood of the port city Latakia.

According to activists, explosions were heard in Homs' area of al-Waar late Friday, as one person was killed and five injured in Qusayr near the central region of Homs.

The clampdown comes hours before foreign ministers of the Arab Leagu are to hold an emergency meeting on Syria in Cairo on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA reported Saturday that five law-enforcement personnel were injured in separate attacks by "armed groups."

SANA, quoting what it described as an official source, said armed men on motorcycles opened fire on a security checkpoint in Deir al-Zour, injuring three of its members.

"The law-enforcement force shot back at the attackers, killing two of them," the source added.

The news agency also reported that "gunmen" had attacked a military security building in Douma in Damascus, injuring two guards.

An estimated 2,200 people have been killed since protests began in mid-March, according to the United Nations. At least 350 people have been killed since the start of Ramadan on August 1.