Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has granted a general amnesty for all crimes committed during the 10-month uprising, state-run media report.

It would apply to army deserters who turned themselves in before the end of January, peaceful protesters and those who handed in unlicensed weapons, Sana state news agency is quoted as saying.

President Assad has issued several prisoner amnesties since the start of the uprising in March, but thousands of people are believed to remain in prison.

Tens of thousands of people across Syria continue to take to the streets calling for an end to the Assad regime - defying a crackdown that, the UN says, has killed 5,000 people, BBC News reported.