Cairo (dpa) – At least 14 civilians were killed Thursday by government forces across Syria, even as Arab monitors were touring more areas in the troubled country, opposition activists said. The majority of the killings occurred in the dissident province of Homs, the target of spiraling government attacks, the Syrian Revolution General Committee, a network of online activists, reported. Mass protests were held Thursday in several areas of Homs, demanding international protection for civilians from the government's clampdown, said activists. Meanwhile, Arab League monitors, dispatched to Syria to verify the government's compliance with a peace plan, had met with army defectors, according to footage posted on the internet. The head of the pan-Arab organization, Nabil al-Arabi, said Wednesday the observers would pursue a month-long mission in Syria, despite increasing calls for withdrawing them because critics say they have failed to stop the government's ruthless crackdown on dissent. By United Nations estimates, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since pro-democracy protests started in mid-March. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/IzWhZ Tags: Arab League, Observers, Violence Section: Latest News, Syria
