Syria has intensified its bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, as international criticism against the government's actions mounts.
Gunfire continued Tuesday in the flashpoint city of Daraa, where a military siege to end anti-government protests was in its second day.
Human rights activists and witnesses say at least 25 people were killed and dozens of others arrested Monday after Syrian troops and tanks entered the city to crush the demonstrations. Residents were said to be too afraid to venture out in Daraa.
Security forces deployed Tuesday near the coastal city of Banias and in Douma and Maadamiah, on the outskirts of Damascus. Activists say clashes have been especially brutal in the area around the Syrian capital.
More than 400 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests erupted last month. The Syrian rights organization Sawasiah said Tuesday the government has arrested at least 500 people during the ensuing crackdown.
Meanwhile, more world powers are criticizing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and urging him to exercise restraint.
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal are asking the U.N. Security Council to condemn the Syrian crackdown in a draft statement being circulated at the United Nations. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Syria to "show moderation" and halt the "violent repression" of peaceful demonstrations.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan telephoned Mr. Assad and urged him to show restraint.
Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said the European Union is exploring possibilities for other action against Syria, including asset freezes and targeted travel bans on the country's leadership. He said Britain is working with its international partners to persuade Syrian authorities to respect basic and universal human rights.
The United States has condemned the violence against Syrian citizens, calling it "completely deplorable."
But U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his British counterpart, Liam Fox, played down the likelihood of a Libya-style intervention in Syria.
At a joint news conference in Washington Tuesday, Fox said the world's response to popular revolts across the Middle East and North Africa must reflect the circumstances in each country. Gates made a similar point, saying that although the U.S. applies its values to all countries in the region, its actions will not always be the same.
A U.S. State Department official Tuesday said that, for now, Washington will limit its response to diplomacy and possible sanctions on Syria.
President Assad last week ended the country's 48-year-old emergency law - a key demand of protesters - and abolished a state security court. But the government then sent tanks and armed troops to crush the demonstrations.
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