year-old boy was killed Sunday as gunfire and shelling erupted in the central Syrian city of Homs, a flashpoint in the widespread seven-week-old uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad's autocratic regime, an activist said. The death coincided with a major crackdown in the coastal city of Banias, another protest hotbed where activists reported the arrest of more than 200 people — including a 10-year-old boy. “It appears to be designed to punish his parents,” said Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said water, electricity and nearly all forms of communication to Banias have been cut since troops in tanks and armored vehicles rolled in and sealed off the city Saturday. On Sunday, SANA said Syrian authorities have seized sophisticated weapons and that the army is still hunting down “armed terrorist groups” across the country, including in Banias.
