10 killed in Syrian protests while huge rally shows support to Bashar Assad

Syrian security forces and pro-government gunmen killed at least 10 people in a rebellious central province on Tuesday, activists said, just as tens of thousands of Syrians were demonstrating in a key city -- a huge show of support for the country's embattled president.

The two related developments showed that despite more than seven months of unrest, neither President Bashar Assad nor his opponents are ready to give in.

Pro-government gunmen killed two people in Homs, long a centre of anti-government protests, and eight others were killed in nearby villages and towns, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said six people were killed in Homs itself, and that one person was shot dead in the Damascus suburb of Douma. The reports could not be independently confirmed.

Syria has banned most foreign correspondents and severely restricts movement in the country.

The Homs province has witnessed intense anti-regime protests as well as clashes between troops loyal to Assad and armed defectors from the military. The region is considered one of Syria's most volatile areas.

The uprising against Assad began during a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Syria's opposition movement has mostly focused on peaceful demonstrations, although recently there have been reports of protesters taking up arms to defend themselves against military attacks.

Also, defectors from the military have battled government forces in recent days.