JOIN USTanks patrolled the southern city of Deraa, where the uprising against Assad erupted six weeks ago, troops poured overnight into the Damascus suburb of Douma and security forces surrounded the restive coastal city of Banias.
Germany on Wednesday supported European Union sanctions against the Syrian leadership, and the European Commission, said all options were on the table for punitive measures against Damascus.
France summoned Syria's ambassador to protest the violence and said Britain, Spain, Germany and Italy were doing the same. “Syrian authorities must meet the legitimate demands of their people with reforms,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.
The US, which imposed a limited economic embargo against Syria in 2004, says it is considering further targeted sanctions in response to the “abhorrent and deplorable” violence by security forces deployed in the crackdown on protesters.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had names of at least 453 civilians killed during the protests across the country against Assad's 11-year authoritarian rule. The unrest could have serious regional repercussions because Syria straddles the fault lines of Middle East conflict.