Clashes in Syrian town kill eight, says Activist

The human rights activist says eight people were killed in Talkalakh on Wednesday, raising the number of those killed in the town since Saturday to at least 34. He says 19 Syrian soldiers have also died there.

Syrian shoppers walk next to the open shops at Hamidiyah popular market, in Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday May 18, 2011. The Syrian opposition called for a general strike Wednesday to protest the regime but the appeal seemed to go largely unheeded. Schools, shops and other businesses were open in the capital, Damascus, and other Syrian cities amid a tight security presence. Syria's president said the country's security forces have made mistakes during the uprising against his regime, blaming poorly trained police officers at least in part for a crackdown that has killed more than 850 people over the past two months. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

A leading Syrian activist says at least eight people have died in ongoing clashes in a western border town that has become the latest place targeted by the regime’s crackdown.

The human rights activist says eight people were killed in Talkalakh on Wednesday, raising the number of those killed in the town since Saturday to at least 34. He says 19 Syrian soldiers have also died there.

The activist spoke on Thursday on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. He also says the army shelled the town with tanks overnight and early Thursday. He says there were heavy exchanges of fire between security forces and armed civilians.

Talkalakh is near the border with Lebanon. It’s known to be a smuggling area where many residents are armed.

More than 850 Syrians have died since the Syrian uprising began in mid—March.