At least 70 people have been killed in violence across Syria over the past 24 hours in one of the bloodiest days since an anti-government uprising began eight months ago, activists reported.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that 27 civilians were shot dead by security forces and 34 soldiers as well as 12 suspected army deserters were killed in clashes.
Most of the victims were killed in the southern flashpoint province of Deraa, the observatory said in a statement.
"Twenty-three people were shot dead by security forces posted along the road between the towns of Kherbet Ghazale and Hirak," the statement said.
At least four other civilians were killed by security force fire in the city of Homs, a protest hub in central Syria, the rights group reported.
Meanwhile, Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, said he no longer has confidence in the Syrian regime, warning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that his country is on a "knife edge" and the brutal crackdown threatens to place Assad on a list of leaders who "feed on blood".
Turkey has also threatened to cut electricity supplies to Syria.
"Right now, as of Tuesday, we are supplying electricity there [to Syria], but if this course continues, we may have to review all of these decisions," Taner Yildiz, Turkey's energy minister, said.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reporting from the capital of Lebanon said she spoke to an opposition activist who told her it is the Syrian people who will be effected the most if Turkey cut electricity to Syria "so he didn't get what type of logic was behind it".
Turkey's strong words come as Syrian television has reported that the government has released 1,180 prisoners.
The prisoners released "were described as having no blood on their hand", Amin said.
Human rights activists inside Syria told Amin that "there are about 30,000 prisoners still in jail in Syria so this number is a drop in the bucket".
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/11/2011111585457536920.html
