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Summary Syria as security forces arrest dozens in Damascus and open fire in other main cities.
Syrian has dramatically escalated its crackdown on protesters with a wave of arrests in Damascus and raids in other flashpoint cities.Security forces in the capital raided homes and shops on Wednesday and arrested dozens of activists in Rukn Eddin district, known to be a predominantly Kurdish area, where electricity was cut off.Syrian gunboats pounded the Mediterranean coastal city of Latakia with heavy machine gun fire yesterday, killing at least 19 people in the latest wave of the regimes crackdown on anti-government protests.The attacks were part of an aggressive new military offensive that began alongside the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the start of August. Several hundred people were killed in the first week alone, according to human rights groups and activists, and the campaign brought fresh international outrage.As the gunships blasted poor waterfront districts, ground troops backed by tanks and security agents stormed several neighbourhoods.The security forces appear to be intent on crushing dissent in the al-Ramel district, which has seen large protests against president Bashar al-Assad since the uprising began in mid-March.The intense operation in Latakia, a key port city once known as a summer tourist attraction, follows brutal government crackdowns on a number of other cities and towns over the past few weeks.
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