The Syrian opposition called Friday for a day of protest across the country, to honour army officers and soldiers who have defected to join the ranks of the pro-democracy movement, dpa reported.
"Today is the Friday of the Free Army," wrote the Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook group, which has emerged as the organizing force behind the demonstrations in Syria that began in mid-March.
The call for protests, to begin after the weekly Friday prayers, came as increasing numbers of officers and soldiers were reported to have defected from the ranks of the Syrian army this week.
Activists based in Lebanon told dpa that clashes between government security forces and armed men - believed to be army defectors - left at least 20 dead since Thursday, in the central province of Homs and northern Idlib Province.
The government confirmed the fighting in the regions of Homs and Idlib and said 10 security officials had been killed and 19 others wounded in an ambush by "an armed terrorist group."
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that an unspecified number of "armed men" were killed and others were arrested, during the pursuit of suspects.
Syrian authorities blame "gangs of armed terrorists" for the unrest that is gripping their country.
According to the United Nations, more than 2,900 people have been killed in Syria since the government crackdown on pro-democracy protests began on March 15.
...