At least 44 people were killed in a crackdown on anti-government protest in Syria, Al-Jazeera reported on Saturday citing human rights groups, RIA Novosti reported.
Police and security forces clashed with protestors calling to impose a no-fly zone to protect them. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said security forces surrounded mosques before and after Friday prayers and made arrests.
"Activists say Syrian security forces have killed at least 44 people, as large protests calling for a no-fly zone to protect civilians and soldiers deserting the army were held across the country," the channel said on its website.
Most fatalities occurred in the country's two major protest hubs - the northern city of Hama and the central city of Homs.
Syria has been rocked with protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime for seven months. The authorities have used force to quash the riots and the UN says 3,000 people have died. The government says the death toll is half that.
On October 4, Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution that urged the Syrian regime to immediately stop using violence against protesters or face "targeted measures."
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