Syrian security forces shot dead at least 27 people, including a child, as pro-democracy protests swept the country yesterday. Activists said, the child was among 11 people killed in the central city of Homs, while another 10 died in the town of Maaret al-Naaman, located near the western city of Idlib. They said, security forces also killed two people in the southern region of Daraa, epicentre of protests that have gripped Syria since March 15, one in Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, another in the port city of Latakia and two in the eastern town of Deir Ezzor. Demonstrators were demanding more freedom in defiance of a fierce crackdown. Protests were also reported in several other towns across Syria. An activist said a demonstration was held outside a mosque in central Damascus but it was quickly dispersed by the security forces.