<p>Russia and Turkey meanwhile dismissed growing calls led by US President Barack Obama for Assad to quit, offering the embattled Syrian leader rare support despite a damning UN report on his "apparent shoot to kill" policy.<br /><br />But the European Union was preparing sanctions against Syria's key oil sector, a European diplomatic source told AFP.<br /><br />On the political front, a group of "revolutionary blocs" formed a coalition vowing to bring down the regime and paid tribute to more than 2,000 civilians killed in crackdown on protesters since mid-March.<br /><br />Activists said that that 19 protesters were killed and many others wounded in demonstrations after Friday prayers.<br /><br />The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people, including an 11-year-old and a 72-year-old, were killed in the southern province of Daraa, epicentre of the anti-regime protests that erupted March 15.<br /><br />Three others were killed in the central city of Homs and one in the Harasta suburb of Damascus.</p>.<p>The Observatory said security forces opened fire on protesters, also wounding 16 people, in the Ghabagheb, Inkhil, Al-Herak and Nawa in Daraa, but the official SANA news agency blamed the shooting on "armed men."<br /><br />The agency said a policeman and a civilian were killed in Ghabagheb and six security forces wounded.<br /><br />Tens of thousands of people flooded streets in major Syrian towns on Friday as they emerged from the weekly Muslim prayers, with the largest anti-regime demonstration reported in Homs.</p>
<p>Russia and Turkey meanwhile dismissed growing calls led by US President Barack Obama for Assad to quit, offering the embattled Syrian leader rare support despite a damning UN report on his "apparent shoot to kill" policy.<br /><br />But the European Union was preparing sanctions against Syria's key oil sector, a European diplomatic source told AFP.<br /><br />On the political front, a group of "revolutionary blocs" formed a coalition vowing to bring down the regime and paid tribute to more than 2,000 civilians killed in crackdown on protesters since mid-March.<br /><br />Activists said that that 19 protesters were killed and many others wounded in demonstrations after Friday prayers.<br /><br />The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people, including an 11-year-old and a 72-year-old, were killed in the southern province of Daraa, epicentre of the anti-regime protests that erupted March 15.<br /><br />Three others were killed in the central city of Homs and one in the Harasta suburb of Damascus.</p>.<p>The Observatory said security forces opened fire on protesters, also wounding 16 people, in the Ghabagheb, Inkhil, Al-Herak and Nawa in Daraa, but the official SANA news agency blamed the shooting on "armed men."<br /><br />The agency said a policeman and a civilian were killed in Ghabagheb and six security forces wounded.<br /><br />Tens of thousands of people flooded streets in major Syrian towns on Friday as they emerged from the weekly Muslim prayers, with the largest anti-regime demonstration reported in Homs.</p>