Group: 24 killed in Syria as Ramadan starts

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops advanced in the central city of Hama on Tuesday, taking up new positions a day after government forces killed 24 people on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, activists said.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of Monday's 24 deaths were in Hama, which has been the target of a heavy military operation since Sunday.

The current crackdown appears aimed at preventing protests from swelling during Ramadan, when Muslims throng mosques for the special nightly prayers after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast. The gatherings could then turn into large protests throughout the country.

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