Syrian forces 'kill seven' on Eid al-Fitr

Syrian forces killed seven people on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr feast on Tuesday, activists said, a day after the EU moved to ban oil imports from Syria over its brutal crackdown on dissent.

The Local Coordination Committees said in a statement that "seven people were killed on the first day of Eid al-Fitr in Syria, including four in the town of Al-Harra and two in Inkhil, in the Daraa province, and one in the (central) city of Homs."

Daraa is a flashpoint province in southern Syria where pro-democracy protests that have rattled the autocratic regime of President Bashar al-Assad first erupted in mid-March.

The Committees said protesters rallied against the regime after the early morning prayers, that are traditionally held on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, with protests reported in Nawa, Dael and other districts of Daraa.

It said a "huge" protest was formed as worshippers emerged from the Al-Omari mosque in Daraa and marched to the town's cemetery. Muslims traditionally visit their dead on the first day of the feast.

The Committees also reported massive security deployments in the central flashpoint province of Homs, and that gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the citadel of the city of Homs, where communications were largely cut.

On the last day of Ramadan Monday, 17 people were killed by Syrian forces and dozens wounded as troops and security forces conducted raids in several areas across the country, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

More than 2,200 people have been killed in the Syrian regime's crackdown on pro-democracy protests since mid-March, according to United Nations' figures.

The European Union reached an agreement in principle on Monday to ban oil imports from Syria to punish the regime for its crackdown on protesters, diplomats said.

"There is a political consensus on a European embargo of imports of Syrian petroleum products," a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The new sanctions were backed by all representatives at a meeting of experts from the 27-nation bloc in Brussels, another diplomat said.

Individual EU governments are expected to give their final approval by the end of the week, the diplomat said.

The Syrian regime, which insists it is confronting "armed terrorist gangs," came under harsh criticism at the weekend from the Arab League, of which it is a member, and from its neighbour Turkey.

On Sunday, the League announced plans to send its chief Nabil al-Arabi to Damascus to help solve the crisis, urging Syria to "follow the way of reason before it is too late."

Washington said Assad is "increasingly isolated" internationally, as a result of the toughening Arab and Turkish positions.

Govt to impose additional Syrian sanctions

Australia has joined a growing number of countries calling for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying it will impose additional sanctions against members of a regime involved in violent repression.

Acting Foreign Minister Craig Emerson said once in place, Australia's autonomous sanctions regime will impose travel and financial restrictions against 34 individuals and 13 entities.

He said reports indicated an estimated 2000 people had been killed since civil unrest in Syria began in March.

"The people of Syria must be allowed to engage in peaceful political activity and be given the chance to determine their own future," Dr Emerson said in a statement on Friday.

"Australia continues to call for the United Nations Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for investigation of alleged atrocities against anti-government protesters."

Australia first proposed such a referral in June.

He said Australia was supporting the people of Syria through humanitarian relief and medical assistance delivered by the Red Cross.

"Australia has been deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Syria and the welfare of its people since the start of the violent repression of protesters in March," Dr Emerson said.

Hillary Clinton calls on countries to sanction Syria

US wants nations with close economic links to Bashar al-Assad's regime to follow it to sanction Syria's oil and gas industry
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has called on other nations with closer economic links to Syria to join it in sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime.

She said Washington had been "very clear" in its statements about Assad's loss of legitimacy but the "real trick" was to convince "the Europeans and the Arabs and the Chinese and the Indians and others" to do more.

"We're going to sanction and we have been upping the sanctions. We're going to continue to do so," she said. "But we want others to follow, because Syria was not one of our major economic partners."

Clinton said it was necessary to sanction Syria's oil and gas industry.

A security crackdown has been ongoing in Syria since the start of Ramadan 11 days ago. Security forces killed at least 10 more people on Thursday as the raids and repression continued.

Mass demonstrations are expected across the country on Friday – the "day of not kneeling". A Facebook group, the Syrian Revolution 2011, said in a defiant message: "We only kneel before God."