A/HRC/18/53 ammunition at the demonstrators. One of the witnesses, who was injured while trying to help others, said he was taken to a private hospital, because many feared that the State-run hospitals were unsafe. Others were treated in private homes. 57. Further violence erupted during a larger demonstration on 20 May, when tear gas, hand grenades and live ammunition were used to quell the protest. In addition, snipers also fired on the crowd from positions on several buildings, including the Al Masri Mosque. Witnesses claimed that the armed forces and special police forces took part in this operation, and that Shabbiha members were also present to shoot anyone who disobeyed orders.57 The security forces erected roadblocks, which were later used to trap demonstrators. In turn, demonstrators burned tyres and erected makeshift roadblocks to try to prevent the security forces from advancing.58 In one incident, a witness who had been injured said a soldier tried to help him by gesturing him to leave, but he was seen by another soldier, who came up behind him and shot him in the head. Protestors nearby tried to pull the soldier away to safety to save him, but other soldiers approached and wrenched the body away as protestors threw stones at them. The injured witness escaped and was taken to a clinic in a village, where he said many wounded people had arrived from Al Mastuma. Others with more serious injuries requiring surgery were taken across the border to Turkey. The public hospital in Ma’arrat an Nu’man was closed during that period. 58. Two other large demonstrations were held in Ma’arrat an Nu’man, on 3 and 10 June. Thousands gathered in the street, and in both instances witnesses claimed that security forces fired live ammunition at the demonstrators without warning or instructions to disperse.59 In addition to sniper fire, tanks were brought in; one witness saw firing from one or more of the five helicopters she counted. According to witness accounts, security forces reportedly shot dead some of the injured at point blank range as they lay on the ground. The injured had to be transferred to other locations outside the town, as most believed they would come to more harm in public hospitals controlled by security forces. 6. Other governorates 59. Baniyas in Tartus Governorate witnessed its first demonstration on 18 March, when protestors gathered outside the Rahman Mosque and headed for the city centre. The police and local sheikhs noted down a list of the protestors’ grievances, but a week later, on 25 March, violence erupted, leading to casualties. According to witnesses, water cannon were used by security forces to disperse a crowd outside the Abu Bakr Mosque. Security forces, together with Shabbiha members and snipers, began shooting at people as they emerged from the mosque. At least three were killed and others were wounded. Three of the Shabbiha members were reportedly subsequently killed, when their car was intercepted by a group of demonstrators and torched. Other incidents involving the killing or wounding of civilians occurred during demonstrations held in April. On 7 May, military forces were deployed to Baniyas to lay siege to the city, accompanied by tanks and helicopters. 60. In the city of Al Ladhiqiyah (capital of Al Ladhiqiyah Governorate, located on the Mediterranean coast in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic), two demonstrations 57 58 59 One witness gave an account of the killing of a soldier by a Shabbiha member. Several witnesses identified a key security official, who was reportedly responsible for much of the violent reaction towards demonstrators. Other witnesses identified the same person in the context of killings in Jisr Al Shughour on 4 June. Witnesses described the forces as dressed in both army and police uniforms. Many also referred to Shabbiha members dressed in black civilian clothes. Others said “foreigners” were present, also wearing black. 17