Activists claim that up to 30 people have been killed in Syria where thousands have taken to the streets for another day of anti-government rallies, dubbed a "day of defiance". Human rights group Insan said that at least 16 people had been killed in the central city of Homs, six in Hama and two in Jableh. It said the total death toll was 26 but didn't specify where the other two deaths occurred.
A human rights activist told the Associated Press news agency that 30 people had died, while Syrian state television said an army officer and four police were killed in Homs by a "criminal gang".
Security forces killed four protesters in the city of Deir al-Zor, a local tribal leader told Reuters.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports because of restrictions on reporting in the country.
Activist Najati Tayara said security forces opened fire to disperse protests that broke out after noon prayers in Homs.
"We were chanting 'The people and the army are one' and 'The people want to topple the regime'," a witness told Al Jazeera over the phone. "Then security and thugs opened fire."
The sound of continuous gunfire was audible over the phone, as well as people shouting "There are snipers on the rooftops".
There were also reports that live ammunition had been fired in the Damascus suburb of Tel, wounding several protesters.
Reem Haddad, a spokeswoman for the Syrian information ministry, denied in a phone interview with Al Jazeera that she had any knowledge that Syrian protesters had been killed on Friday.
She said a planned visit by a UN delegation aimed at investigating the situation in Syria would be a positive thing for the government.
"The Syrian government is not worried, because there is nothing wrong," Haddad said.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that Syria had agreed to allow UN teams to enter the country and check the humanitarian situation there.
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