10 Killed in Syria as Mass Protests Start

Rights activists say government forces killed at least 10 people across Syria on Friday amid reports of mass anti-government demonstrations taking shape.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least three of the deaths occurred in the flashpoint Hama region after forces opened fire on a vehicle.

The French news agency reports thousands of protesters are taking to the streets after Friday prayers with renewed calls for President Bashar al-Assad’s departure.

U.N. observers in Syria are continuing to work toward an end to violence between government forces and rebels despite a fractured cease-fire.

A spokesman for international envoy Kofi Annan, who brokered the cease-fire plan last month, said it was “on track,” despite continued violence.