Syrian security forces open fire on protesters in locations across the country on Saturday, leaving 13 dead in the Syrian coastal town of Jabla and another 20 dead in the town of Daraa where this current wave of protests agains the Syrian regime originated.
Syrian security forces backed by armored vehicles entered the southern town of Daraa overnight and opened fire, a resident told Al Jazeera television on Monday.
At least 20 Syrians have been killed as hundreds of pro-Assad troops entered the south Syria town.
Arabiya television also reported deaths in the town, but did not immediately give further details.
Eight tanks have been deployed in the old quarter of Daraa, a witness reported, saying several bodies were lying in the main street.
A witness in Daraa said snipers on government buildings and security forces in army fatigues had been shooting at random at houses since tanks moved in just after dawn prayers.
"People are taking cover in homes. I could see two bodies near the mosque and no one was able to go out and drag them away," the witness said.
Activists on social media posted footage of what they said were troops firing early Monday throughout Daraa. The sound of heavy gunfire punctuates the footage, as well as the labored, frightened brejhing of the activist filming the footage.
The activist repeats the date, the location and says: "The army forces are entering Daraa. They are shelling the city of Daraa."
The video could not be independently verified and all witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots since the uprising began, making it nearly impossible to get accurate assessments of the situation on the ground.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday that pro-Assad forces shot dead at least 13 civilians in the Syrian coastal town of Jabla.
The security forces and gunmen loyal to President Bashar Assad deployed in the old Sunni quarter of Jabla on Sunday after a pro-democracy protest in the town the previous night, rights campaigners in contact with Jabla said.
A human rights campaigner reported that Syrian forces continued their rampage on Monday, storming the Damascus suburb of Duma, shooting at unarmed civilians and arresting residents.
Civilians were injured in the shooting, an activist said.
"There are injured people. Scores have been arrested. The security [forces] are repeating the same pattern in all the centers of the democratic uprising. They want to put down the revolution using the utmost brutality," the rights campaigner told Reuters from Damascus.
The campaigner said all telecommunications with Duma had been cut, but one activist managed to escape the suburb after the attack began at dawn and report on the situation.
Despite Syrian President Assad's removal of the decades-long emergency laws, his forces have continued to clash with protesters, killing over 100 Syrians Friday in the most brutal crackdown yet.
Syrian security forces detained dozens of opposition activists and protesters in raids on Sunday, yet another indication that Assad has little intent of relinquishing his authoritarian rule.