19 August 2011 Last updated at 12:46 ET Syria protests: Deaths in anti-Assad demonstrations At least 20 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured in Syria as army and police opened fire on anti-government protesters. Activists said most of the deaths were in southern Deraa province, but there were also reports of shootings in Homs. On Thursday, the US led unprecedented calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. Earlier, Mr Assad told the United Nations that police and army operations against civilians had halted. Russia rejected the US calls for President Assad to go, saying he should be given more time to enact reforms. And Syria's UN envoy accused the US of trying to instigate insurrection. Bashar Ja'afari said the US was "waging a humanitarian and diplomatic war" against Syria, together with some other UN Security Council members. Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to expand its sanctions against Syria, targeting the oil sector, officials say. The EU is also looking at adding individuals and state institutions to its sanctions blacklist, which imposes travel bans and asset freezes. Most of Syria's oil exports go to Europe. 'Beginnings of victory' Rights activists said two people were killed in Homs, Syria's <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com/"><strong>cheap Chanel handbags for sale</strong></a> third-largest city, while there were more deaths in the suburbs of Damascus. However, most of the deaths were in three towns in Deraa province, where the uprising began in March. Syrian state media gave a different account, saying gunmen had opened fire on worshippers and security forces, killing at least two policemen. President Assad has promised political reforms but has continued to clamp down on the protesters, blaming the unrest on "terrorist groups". Human rights groups believe that about 2,000 people have been killed and thousands arrested since March as Syria's security forces - using tanks, helicopters, gunships and snipers - try to quell dissent that has broken out in much of the country. The UN says it has been given permission to send a humanitarian mission to Syria on Saturday, and has been guaranteed full access, following a conversation between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Assad on Wednesday. On the page of a Facebook group, The Syrian Revolution 2011, protest organisers dubbed the day "Friday of the beginnings of victory", reports said. Despite Mr Assad's promises to stop the security forces firing on protesters, activist accounts and internet video postings indicate nothing much has changed, says the BBC's Jim Muir, who is reporting from neighbouring Lebanon due to Syrian restrictions on foreign media. On Thursday, the US - followed by the UK, France, Germany and the EU - called for Mr Assad to "step aside", saying his "calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people". Syrian state-controlled media has derided the move - often without making explicit reference to the call itself, our correspondent says. Ambassador Ja'afari accused the US of "instigating further violence in the country, and giving the wrong message to the armed terrorist armed groups that they are under American and Western protection so that they go ahead with their insurrection and destructive activities in the country". The US call was also rejected by a source in the Russian foreign <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com/"><strong>cheap Coach handbags for sale</strong></a> ministry, who told the Interfax news agency: "We do not support such calls and consider that right now, the government of President Assad needs time to implement all reform processes that have been announced." US bans The US has also introduced harsh new sanctions on Syria, denying it access to the American financial system, freezing all Syrian government assets subject to US jurisdiction and prohibiting any US citizen from engaging in transactions with Syria. The executive order signed by President Barack Obama also bans the import into the US of petroleum or petroleum-based products. This will not in itself hit Syria hard, as it is not a major US supplier, but if European allies of the US follow, it could have a significant impact on one of Damascus's major revenue sources, commentators say. The US and European powers have already indicated <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com"><strong>lv handbags</strong></a> they will push for new sanctions at the UN, though these may meet resistance from veto-holding permanent members Russia and China. In a separate development, UN investigators said on Thursday that the use of violence in Syria "may amount to crimes against humanity". In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, they said the UN Security Council should refer the issue to the International Criminal Court. Send your pictures and videos to
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New Syrian protests 'turn deadly'
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