At least six people were killed Tuesday as Syrian security forces continued a wide-scale military operation to crack down on army deserters near the Syria-Turkish border, activists in the area told dpa.
"The operation started (in) the early hours on Monday, it is covering the whole province of Idlib. Six people were killed so far Tuesday, among them two army defectors," Ahmad Abdallah, an activist in Idlib, told dpa by phone.
Activists said late Monday that security forces killed up to 72 army defectors as they were deserting their military posts near the Turkish border.
The violence came after Syria agreed on Monday to an Arab League plan to allow in Arab monitors, after bowing to growing international and Arab pressure to end its bloody crackdown on a 10-month uprising, which, according to United Nations estimates, has killed 5,000 people.
The UN General Assembly on Monday condemned human rights violations by President Bashar al-Assad's government, calling for an immediate end to violence and implementation of the Arab League plan "without any further delays."