Syrian security forces have killed at least 12 civilians in raids on restive northwestern towns as the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Damascus to push for medical care for the wounded and access to detainees. Rights groups say that troops cracking down on pro-democracy protesters killed eight people in northern Idlib province and four more in central areas near Hama. Both regions have seen intensified government operations against people involved in popular unrest since last week's defection of Hama's attorney-general. Authorities are hunting for Judge Adnan Bakkour in the countryside around the flashpoint city. The United Nations says more than 2,200 people have been killed during the Syrian crackdown since March, when protesters began calling for reforms and an end to Mr. Assad's autocratic rule. The Syrian government blames the violence on what it calls armed gangs and terrorists backed by foreign conspirators.