Syrian forces killed two people and wounded scores more on Sunday May 29 in the town of Rastan in central Syria, which has seen large demonstrations against the rule of President Bashar Assad.

Troops backed by tanks encircled Rastan on Sunday morning and began firing heavy machineguns in the streets of the town of 80,000 people, 25 k.m. north of the restive city of Homs, a resident of Rastan who witnessed the operation, told Reuters.

Rastan, a relatively prosperous town in an agricultural region, is on the main northern highway leading from Damascus to Syria's second city Aleppo.

Internet, water, electricity, land lines and most mobile telephone links had been cut, a step commonly used by the military before they storm urban centers.

Protests in Syria have continued despite the increasing force used to crush demonstrations that began with demanding political freedom and an end to corruption, but are now calling for the removal of Assad.