Fighting intensifies as deserters join Syrian protesters

Syrian troops stormed villages close to the border with Turkey yesterday, hunting armed military defectors who fought back in clashes that left at least four soldiers and three others dead, activists said.

The fighting in the country's restive northern region of Jabal al-Zawiya, where military defectors are active, was the latest sign of a trend toward growing militarisation of the uprising.

The UN's human rights office has raised its tally of people killed during seven months of unrest in Syria, including members of the security forces, to more than 2,900. The figure has risen by at least 200 in the past month.

The Syrian opposition had until recently focused on non-violent resistance. But, since late July, a group calling itself the Free Syrian Army has claimed attacks across the country and emerged as the first significant armed challenge to President Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian regime. The opposition has mostly welcomed the armed group's formation, and the movement could propel the Syrian revolt by encouraging senior officers to desert the regime.